The year 2025 was marked by the occurrence of several significant events in conventional radiology. These situations involving cohorts of patients(1) and in particular paediatric patients(2) during radiological examinations are rare events, although not exceptional in view of the Significant Radiation Protection Events (ESRs) reported to ASNR since 2008. In 2025, several significant events relating to overexposure beyond Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) were notified to ASNR in the field of conventional radiology(see box). 1. Cohort: group of individuals considered as a whole and participating in a statistical study of the circumstances of occurrence of diseases. 2. The paediatric population includes children and adolescents from birth up to and including the age of 17. Three of these events concerned a large number of patients, with overexposure that, in some cases, went unrecognised for several years. Patients affected by exposure to doses higher than those normally used for the examinations carried out were informed by the healthcare facilities. Analysis of these events systematically reveals multifactorial causes, although there are some common elements: ∙a fault in the parameter settings of the X-ray equipment used, often occurring on commissioning of the equipment concerned, or on return to service after maintenance; ∙inadequate training of healthcare professionals in the use of equipment; ∙shortcomings in the approach to optimising patient doses, in terms of setting up examination protocols, collecting delivered doses, and utilising dosimetry data (leading to late detection of exceedances). ASNR analyses and inspections have also revealed a lack of radiation protection culture, evidenced in particular by: ∙a lack of critical analysis of the doses delivered during examinations; ∙a lack of suitable resources and tools for analysing and archiving doses delivered; ∙shortcomings in retrospective assessments of the doses delivered to patients, with a lack of data collection for the completion of DRLs, particularly with regard to paediatric DRLs; ∙failure to systematically record the dose delivered to the patient in procedure reports. Significant radiation protection events in conventional radiology Radiation protection culture needs to be improved after several significant events affecting patient cohorts NOTABLE EVENTS 2025
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