Status of diagnostic X-ray equipment management in Korea, 2016

Kim Hyun Ji, Lee Jung-youl, Lee Byung-young, Lee Jung-eun, Kim Hyun-Jin, Song Seung-Ki, Im Gwang-Rae, Kim Jae-Ho, Lee Hyun-Koo
Division of Medical Radiation, Center for Disease Prevention, KCDC

In Korea, there has been a continuous increase in the number of diagnostic X-ray equipment from 75,762 in 2014 to 82,357 in 2016. District-based categorization revealed that the largest number of diagnostic X-ray equipment was 19,921(24.2%) in Seoul, while the smallest number was 264(0.3%) in Sejong. Classification based on the types of X-ray equipment showed that the portion of general equipment with a separate tube-high voltage (HV) generator was highest with 24.5%(20,215), followed by general equipment with integrated tube-HV generator used in radiography or fluoroscopy with 19.1%(15,731), intra-oral equipment with 18.6%(15,281), equipment for panoramic imaging with 14.7%(12,078), dental computed tomography with 8.7%(7,154), equipment for bone mineral densitometry with 7.8%(6,460), equipment for mammography with 3.8%(3,138), and whole body CT with 2.8%(2,300). Based on the period of use, 32.0%(26,330) of total equipment was used for “equal or less than 5years.” The more diagnostic X-ray equipment in the number increases, the more efforts will be required for the safe use of medical radiation.

Keywords: Radiologic Technology, Radiography, Dental Radiography, Mammography, Safety Management