In Germany, X-rays were discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895, and in 1905 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in recognition of his contributions to physics. After this discovery, the new X-ray technology was rapidly applied in clinical medicine. There is no published information documenting the initial use of ionizing radiation in diagnosis in Saudi Arabia, but in 1950 it began to pay attention to safety and health and established the first public health department in Makah. Subsequently, King Saud's first hospital was established in Riyadh as early as 1956 (1). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Since 1896, X-rays were rapidly applied in clinical medicine in the United States, and the number of radiological examinations increased approximately tenfold between 1980 and 2006 (2). The availability of X-ray technology and the volume of medical imaging can vary greatly from country to country, however, in Saudi Arabia the growth of doctors and radiation physicists, as well as regulatory bodies such as the National Center for Radiation Protection (SNCRP) in King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). The relationship between the development of X-ray technology and dose escalation has also intensified the issue of physicians' justification and knowledge of patient dose during radiological examinations. To name a few, the Swedish study estimated that 20% of all multislice CT performed in Sweden may not be justified (3). On the other hand, two studies evaluating doctors' awareness revealed a lack of knowledge about the risks of radiological examinations on their health and their patients (4, 5). Increasing the dose for patients with increasing x-ray technology prompted the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in 1990 to mention the use of diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) as benchmarks for radiation protection and optimization of patient imaging (6) performed in the local area, country or region where they are applied. DRLs should be set to median doses that represent typical practice for a patient group for a specific type of exam. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In 1996, the ICRP defined two principles governing the professional use of radiation sources: optimization and justification of radiological examinations. Optimization implies that the exposure of individuals and the population is kept at the lowest level reasonably achievable (ALARA). On the other hand, Justification implies that every human activity that involves patient exposure should be justified by the benefits it can offer (7).