What is the estimated radiation dose for PET with a 10 mCi injection?

In Positron Emission Tomography (PET), the radiation dose a patient receives is influenced by the radiopharmaceutical used and the administered activity. A 10 mCi injection of a common PET tracer, like fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), is typically associated with a radiation dose in the range of 7 mSv.

This dose estimation is based on established values for effective radiation dose conversion factors for commonly used tracers in PET imaging. The effective dose of 7 mSv reflects the biological impact of the radiation on human tissues from the administered dose, which is significant for understanding the risk-benefit ratio of the procedure.

Patients and practitioners are encouraged to consider this dose in the context of the valuable diagnostic information provided by PET imaging, often justifying the associated radiation exposure.