Background: Trauma surgeons must balance the risk and benefits of diagnostic radiographic procedures on potentially pregnant patients and should know the range and likelihood of effects that radiation might have on pregnancy.
Methods: We present guidelines for assessing such radiation risks. Knowledge of a patient's pregnancy status and an estimate of radiation dose to the conceptus (low, < 10 mGy [milligray]; intermediate, 10-250 mGy; high, > 250 mGy) allow provisional assessment of radiation-induced risks.
Results: Dose estimates may be estimated at 2 mGy per exposure (radiographs), 5 mGy per slice (computed tomography), and 10 mGy per minute of fluoroscopy, when the conceptus is within the x-ray field. A formal radiation exposure assessment is appropriate when provisional estimates exceed 10 mGy.
Conclusion: A simple qualitative dose assessment can inform clinical decisions and guide appropriate triage to more formal quantitative assessment.