Radiation safety in nuclear medicine procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Sang Geon; Kim, Ja Hae; Song, Ho Chun [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Medical Radiation Safety Research Center, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-15

Since the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011, radiation safety has become an important issue in nuclear medicine. Many structured guidelines or recommendations of various academic societies or international campaigns demonstrate important issues of radiation safety in nuclear medicine procedures. There are ongoing efforts to fulfill the basic principles of radiation protection in daily nuclear medicine practice. This article reviews important principles of radiation protection in nuclear medicine procedures. Useful references, important issues, future perspectives of the optimization of nuclear medicine procedures, and diagnostic reference level are also discussed.

Radiation exposure in diagnostic medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haehnel, S.; Michalczak, H.; Reinoehl-Kompa, S.

1995-01-01

This volume includes the manuscripts of the papers read at the conference as well as a summary and assessment of its results. The scientific discussions were centred upon the following issues: - International surveys and comparisons of rdiation exposures in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine, frequency of the individual diagnostic procedures and age distribution of patients examined; - policies and regulations for the radiation protection of patients, charcteristic dosimetric values and practical usefulness of the effective dose concept during medical examinations; - assessments of the relative benefits and risks and measures to reduce the radiation exposure in the light of quality assurance aspects. The main objective of this conference not only was to evaluate the risks from diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine but also to encourgage a critical analysis and adjustment of examination routines followed in everyday practice. Among the measures recommended were quality assurance, maintenace of international standards, development of guidelines, introduction of standard doses, improved training and professional education of personnel as well as surveys and analyses of certain examination procedures associated with substantial radiation exposure. (orig./MG) [de

Exposure of the French paediatric population to ionising radiation from diagnostic medical procedures in 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Etard, Cecile; Aubert, Bernard; Mezzarobba, Myriam; Bernier, Marie-Odile

2014-01-01

Medical examination is the main source of artificial radiation exposure. Because children present an increased sensitivity to ionising radiation, radiology practices at a national level in paediatrics should be monitored. This study describes the ionising radiation exposure from diagnostic medical examinations of the French paediatric population in 2010. Data on frequency of examinations were provided by the French National Health Insurance through a representative sample including 107,627 children ages 0-15 years. Effective doses for each type of procedure were obtained from the published French literature. Median and mean effective doses were calculated for the studied population. About a third of the children were exposed to at least one examination using ionising radiation in 2010. Conventional radiology, dental exams, CT scans and nuclear medicine and interventional radiology represent respectively 55.3%, 42.3%, 2.1% and 0.3% of the procedures. Children 10-15 years old and babies from birth to 1 year are the most exposed populations, with respectively 1,098 and 734 examinations per 1,000 children per year. Before 1 year of age, chest and pelvis radiographs are the most common imaging tests, 54% and 32%, respectively. Only 1% of the studied population is exposed to CT scan, with 62% of these children exposed to a head-and-neck procedure. The annual median and mean effective doses were respectively 0.03 mSv and 0.7 mSv for the exposed children. This study gives updated reference data on French paediatric exposure to medical ionising radiation that can be used for public health or epidemiological purposes. Paediatric diagnostic use appears much lower than that of the whole French population as estimated in a previous study. (orig.)

Exposure of the French paediatric population to ionising radiation from diagnostic medical procedures in 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Etard, Cecile; Aubert, Bernard [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, Medical Expertise Unit, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Mezzarobba, Myriam [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, Laboratory of Epidemiology, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Bernier, Marie-Odile [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, Laboratory of Epidemiology, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, IRSN/PRP-HOM/SRBE/LEPID, Laboratoire d' Epidemiologie, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)

2014-12-15

Medical examination is the main source of artificial radiation exposure. Because children present an increased sensitivity to ionising radiation, radiology practices at a national level in paediatrics should be monitored. This study describes the ionising radiation exposure from diagnostic medical examinations of the French paediatric population in 2010. Data on frequency of examinations were provided by the French National Health Insurance through a representative sample including 107,627 children ages 0-15 years. Effective doses for each type of procedure were obtained from the published French literature. Median and mean effective doses were calculated for the studied population. About a third of the children were exposed to at least one examination using ionising radiation in 2010. Conventional radiology, dental exams, CT scans and nuclear medicine and interventional radiology represent respectively 55.3%, 42.3%, 2.1% and 0.3% of the procedures. Children 10-15 years old and babies from birth to 1 year are the most exposed populations, with respectively 1,098 and 734 examinations per 1,000 children per year. Before 1 year of age, chest and pelvis radiographs are the most common imaging tests, 54% and 32%, respectively. Only 1% of the studied population is exposed to CT scan, with 62% of these children exposed to a head-and-neck procedure. The annual median and mean effective doses were respectively 0.03 mSv and 0.7 mSv for the exposed children. This study gives updated reference data on French paediatric exposure to medical ionising radiation that can be used for public health or epidemiological purposes. Paediatric diagnostic use appears much lower than that of the whole French population as estimated in a previous study. (orig.)

New perspective for radiation protection in diagnostic procedure in Paraguay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sosky, R.A.; Gamarra, M.

2001-01-01

The Government in Paraguay approved by Decree Law 10754, dated October 6, 2000, its National Regulation on Basic Safety Standards for Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources, based on the IAEA Safety Standards 115. The primary goal of Patient Protection is to ensure that both Regulatory Authorities and all Responsible parties in Medical Practices observe procedural process in conducting their responsibilities on regulatory and administrative affairs. On one side the Government, 'Department de Proteccion Radiologica', under the Health Ministry and Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, and on the other side, the medical practitioner who prescribes or conducts diagnostic or therapeutic treatment, both ensure that the exposure of patients be the minimum. This document describes how the Regulatory Authorities intend to implement this recent act and on the other hand take the advantage of this Conference to understand better this subject, especially on the following subjects: essential requirement for licensing, inspection and enforcement programme in the country's capital and in the interior, where there are more difficulties; workers and medical training and lessons learned applying to developing countries. (author)

Controlling radiation exposure during interventional procedures in childhood cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Racadio, John M.

2009-01-01

Many pediatric cancer patients undergo multiple diagnostic and therapeutic radiologic procedures over the course of their illnesses and are therefore at high risk for radiation exposure. There are a variety of measures that radiologists can employ to reduce this risk. These include limiting the use of radiation whenever possible, using specific strategies to reduce radiation exposure during interventional procedures, using quality assurance programs to ensure compliance, and maintaining continuing staff radiation safety educational programs. Some of the diagnostic and therapeutic interventional radiologic procedures that are performed in pediatric oncology patients are discussed here, along with specific tips for managing radiation exposure. (orig.)

Exposure to rays and radiation hazards in connection with diagnostic X-ray procedures in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Protzer, K.

1988-01-01

In this study, figures and data about radiation exposures for diagnostic purposes are surveyed that were collected in connection with X-ray procedures in children. The data were sorted according to body regions and techniques required for their examination so as to permit separate analyses of procedures in the urogenital tract (intravenous urogramme, micturition cystourethrography), thorax (angiocardiogramme, thoractic aortogramme, examinations using cardiac catheters), gastrointestinal system (fluoroscopy and contrast-enhanced irrigoscopy), pelvis (survey radiography), skull (computed tomography) as well as in miscellaneous group of further origins. The second part of the report discusses the uncertainties surrounding the assessment of radiation hazards and indicated radiation doses. A formula is represented for the calculation of life-time reductions that can be applied to any type of cancer and embraces a number of factors like life expectancy at age X, the patient's age at the time of radiotherapy, the five-year-survival rate for the condition under investigation and the diseased organ. At the end of the study, some methods are pointed out that may be helpful in limiting radiation exposure. (KST) [de

Unintentional exposure to radiation during pregnancy from nuclear medical diagnostic procedures; Unabsichtliche Strahlenexposition in der Schwangerschaft durch nuklearmedizinische Diagnostik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moka, D. [Gemeinschaftspraxis fuer Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin, Essen (Germany)

2005-12-01

The administration of radiopharmaceuticals during pregnancy is contraindicated due to a lack of vital indications. However, if prenatal exposure to radiation should occur in the framework of a nuclear medical diagnostic procedure then fortunately no longterm side-effects would normally be expected. Radiation damage in the preimplantation phase leads to early abortion. However, if the further course of pregnancy remains uncomplicated then no subsequent side-effects need be expected. On a conservative estimate, it would require doses exceeding 50 mGy to cause radiation damage within the uterus after the preimplantation phase. However, the standard radioactivities applied for diagnostic purposes in nuclear medicine, can be obtained with doses of less than 20 mGy. On the basis of current knowledge, therefore, there is no reason to terminate pregnancy on medical grounds after diagnostic exposure to radiopharmaceuticals. (orig.)

Genetic risk from diagnostic X-ray procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stephan, G.

1980-01-01

This essay introduces epidemiologic studies concerned with the question whether diagnostic X-ray procedures might be the cause of an increased genetic risk. All studies have selected Down's syndrome (mongolism) as genetic indicator. They indiscriminately present the opinion of the respective author. Approximately one half of the studies conclude that radiation exposure will not influence the spontaneous incidence of Down's syndrome in diagnostics, the other half finds a positive relationship between frequent radiation exposure and the incidence of the syndrome. For various reasons, explained in detail, the results of the studies under discussion are suitable for forming hypotheses, but should not be viewed as providing evidence. (orig.) [de

Analysis of risk in computerized tomography and other diagnostic radiology procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mossman, K.L.

1982-01-01

Medical practice entails continuous risks to the patient taken in good faith by the physician for the benefit of the patient. Risk of radiation induced cancer death approximates 10(-4) per cGy (rad). Assuming an average whole body dose of 0.1 cGy for many diagnostic X-ray procedures, the probability of radiation-induced cancer death is about 10(-5). The purpose of this paper is to compare the risks of common diagnostic X-ray procedures including computerized tomography (CT) with risks of smoking or automobile travel. Such comparisons should be constructive in putting radiation in perspective and facilitating explanation of risk/benefit to patients

Thyroid Radiation Dose to Patients from Diagnostic Radiology Procedures over Eight Decades: 1930-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Lienard A; Miller, Donald L; Lee, Choonsik; Melo, Dunstana R; Villoing, Daphnée; Drozdovitch, Vladimir; Thierry-Chef, Isabelle; Winters, Sarah J; Labrake, Michael; Myers, Charles F; Lim, Hyeyeun; Kitahara, Cari M; Linet, Martha S; Simon, Steven L

2017-12-01

This study summarizes and compares estimates of radiation absorbed dose to the thyroid gland for typical patients who underwent diagnostic radiology examinations in the years from 1930 to 2010. The authors estimated the thyroid dose for common examinations, including radiography, mammography, dental radiography, fluoroscopy, nuclear medicine, and computed tomography (CT). For the most part, a clear downward trend in thyroid dose over time for each procedure was observed. Historically, the highest thyroid doses came from the nuclear medicine thyroid scans in the 1960s (630 mGy), full-mouth series dental radiography (390 mGy) in the early years of the use of x rays in dentistry (1930s), and the barium swallow (esophagram) fluoroscopic exam also in the 1930s (140 mGy). Thyroid uptake nuclear medicine examinations and pancreatic scans also gave relatively high doses to the thyroid (64 mGy and 21 mGy, respectively, in the 1960s). In the 21st century, the highest thyroid doses still result from nuclear medicine thyroid scans (130 mGy), but high thyroid doses are also associated with chest/abdomen/pelvis CT scans (18 and 19 mGy for males and females, respectively). Thyroid doses from CT scans did not exhibit the same downward trend as observed for other examinations. The largest thyroid doses from conventional radiography came from cervical spine and skull examinations. Thyroid doses from mammography (which began in the 1960s) were generally a fraction of 1 mGy. The highest average doses to the thyroid from mammography were about 0.42 mGy, with modestly larger doses associated with imaging of breasts with large compressed thicknesses. Thyroid doses from dental radiographic procedures have decreased markedly throughout the decades, from an average of 390 mGy for a full-mouth series in the 1930s to an average of 0.31 mGy today. Upper GI series fluoroscopy examinations resulted in up to two orders of magnitude lower thyroid doses than the barium swallow. There are

Effects of radiation exposure from radiopharmaceuticals used in diagnostic studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witcofski, R.L.

1981-01-01

In the United States about 90 percent of man-made radiation exposure to the general population is from the use of radiation in diagnostic medicine. Although the doses of radiation from these procedures to individuals are generally quite small, large numbers of people are exposed. Estimates of the radiation doses associated with such use in the healing arts are approximately 15 million person-rem to the general population from diagnostic x ray and 3.3 million person-rem from the diagnostic use of radiopharmaceuticals. The purpose of this paper is to present what is known about the possible effects of radiation from diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals

Diagnostic radiation and pregnancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, L.; Fitzgerald, P.

1983-01-01

Accidental irradiation of the embryo or fetus in the first trimester is a problem which will occasionally occur. The value of a proper estimation of the radiation dose is emphasised. Very rarely does a single diagnostic procedure result in a uterine dose as high as 50 mGy. An accidental irradiation should rarely be cause for termination of a pregnancy

Assessment of the radiation risk from diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Streffer, C.; Mueller, W.U.

1995-01-01

In any assessment of radiation risks from diagnostic radiology the main concern is the possible induction of cancer. It now appears to be beyond all doubt that ionizing rays invite the development of cancer in humans. The radiation doses encountered in diagnostic radiology generally vary from 1 to 50 mSv. For this dose range, no measured values are available to ascertain cancer risks from ionizing rays. The effects of such doses must therefore be extrapolated from higher dose levels under consideration of given dose-effect relationships. All relevant figures for diagnostic X-ray measures are therefore mathematically determined approximate values. The stochastic radiation risk following non-homogeneous radiation exposure is assessed on the basis of the effective dose. This dose was originally introduced to ascertain the risk from radioactive substances incorporated at the working place. A secondary intention was to trigger further developmental processes in radiation protection. Due to the difficulties previously outlined and the uncertainties surrounding the determination and assessment of the effective dose from diagnostic X-ray procedures, this dose should merely be used for technological refinements and comaprisons of examination procedures. It appears unreasonable that the effective doses determined for the individual examinations are summed up to obtain a collective effective dose and to multiply this with a risk factor so as to give an approximation of the resulting deaths from cancer. A reasonable alternative is to inform patients subjected to X-ray examinations about the associated radiation dose and to estimate form this the magnitude of the probable radiation risk. (orig./MG) [de

Procedures in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doyle, T.; Hare, W.S.C.; Thomson, K.; Tess, B.

1989-01-01

This book outlines the various procedures necessary for the successful practice of diagnostic radiology. Topics covered are: general principles, imaging of the urinary and gastrointestinal tracts, vascular radiology, arthrography, and miscellaneous diagnostic radiologic procedures

Radiation exposure of nuclear medicine procedures in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hacker, M.

2005-01-01

Nuclear Medicine procedures offer the possibility to detect abnormalities on the basis of physiological and metabolic changes and to treat a growing number of diseases in human beings. However, the use of radiopharmaceuticals for nuclear medicine examinations causes a significant component of the total radiation exposure of populations. In Germany it is an essential task of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection to determinate and assess radiation exposure of the population due to nuclear medicine diagnostics and therapy. An important input for this task is the frequency of nuclear-medical examinations with application of ionising radiation and the radiation exposure of patients related to the various procedures. Additional implementation of age- and gender-specific data today allows more exact risk stratification in focusing on different subgroups of patients. Moreover, the collective effective dose as well as the per caput effective dose of the German population may be estimated and compared with earlier collected data or foreign countries. These data reveal where the indication should be questioned particularly critically and if the dose for the various examinations can be reduced and, thus, contribute to the definition of diagnostic reference levels for nuclear medicine procedures in Germany with the aim of both a sufficient image quality and a minimum of radiation exposure. Exceeding the high- as well as the low-values requires documentation and explanation. (orig.)

Children's exposure to diagnostic medical radiation and cancer risk: epidemiologic and dosimetric considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linet, Martha S.; Rajaraman, Preetha; Kim, Kwang pyo

2009-01-01

While the etiology of most childhood cancers is largely unknown, epidemiologic studies have consistently found an association between exposure to medical radiation during pregnancy and risk of childhood cancer in offspring. The relation between early life diagnostic radiation exposure and occurrence of pediatric cancer risks is less clear. This review summarizes current and historical estimated doses for common diagnostic radiologic procedures as well as the epidemiologic literature on the role of maternal prenatal, children's postnatal and parental preconception diagnostic radiologic procedures on subsequent risk of childhood malignancies. Risk estimates are presented according to factors such as the year of birth of the child, trimester and medical indication for the procedure, and the number of films taken. The paper also discusses limitations of the methods employed in epidemiologic studies to assess pediatric cancer risks, the effects on clinical practice of the results reported from the epidemiologic studies, and clinical and public health policy implications of the findings. Gaps in understanding and additional research needs are identified. Important research priorities include nationwide surveys to estimate fetal and childhood radiation doses from common diagnostic procedures, and epidemiologic studies to quantify pediatric and lifetime cancer risks from prenatal and early childhood exposures to diagnostic radiography, CT, and fluoroscopically guided procedures. (orig.)

Variation in radiation doses in paediatric cardiac catheterisation procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Haj, A. N.; Lobriguito, A. M.; Rafeh, W.

2008-01-01

Paediatric cardiac catheterisation involves diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that range from simple to complex and can subject paediatric patients to varying radiation doses. The study aims to determine the variation in entrance doses in patients in terms of dose-area product (DAP) values and to investigate the methods for optimising radiation protection. A total of 190 paediatric patients belonging to age groups 0, 1, 5 and 10 y who underwent diagnostic and six selected therapeutic procedures at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) were included in the study. Therapeutic procedures include coarctation (COA), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), radiofrequency ablation, pulmonary, embolisation and septostomy. Fluoroscopy and cine radiography were used in all procedures. Patient demography (weight, age, gender and height), radiographic technique factors, fluoroscopy and cine time, frame rate, and DAP values were taken from patients records. Effective doses for each procedure were estimated from the DAP values. The mean DAP per procedure were analysed for correlation with patient equivalent cylindrical diameter, weight, fluoroscopy time and number of frames. Factors influencing the variation in doses were investigated. Initial results show that PDA occlusion has the highest mean DAP value of 23.21 Gy-cm 2 , while the diagnostic and septostomy procedures have the lowest value of 7.77 and 6.95 Gy-cm 2 , respectively. (authors)

Cancer risks following diagnostic and therapeutic radiation exposure in children

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kleinerman, Ruth A. [National Institutes of Health, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, EPS 7044, Rockville, MD (United States)

2006-09-15

The growing use of interventional and fluoroscopic imaging in children represents a tremendous benefit for the diagnosis and treatment of benign conditions. Along with the increasing use and complexity of these procedures comes concern about the cancer risk associated with ionizing radiation exposure to children. Children are considerably more sensitive to the carcinogenic effects of ionizing radiation than adults, and children have a longer life expectancy in which to express risk. Numerous epidemiologic cohort studies of childhood exposure to radiation for treatment of benign diseases have demonstrated radiation-related risks of cancer of the thyroid, breast, brain and skin, as well as leukemia. Many fewer studies have evaluated cancer risk following diagnostic radiation exposure in children. Although radiation dose for a single procedure might be low, pediatric patients often receive repeated examinations over time to evaluate their conditions, which could result in relatively high cumulative doses. Several cohort studies of girls and young women subjected to multiple diagnostic radiation exposures have been informative about increased mortality from breast cancer with increasing radiation dose, and case-control studies of childhood leukemia and postnatal diagnostic radiation exposure have suggested increased risks with an increasing number of examinations. Only two long-term follow-up studies of cancer following cardiac catheterization in childhood have been conducted, and neither reported an overall increased risk of cancer. Most cancers can be induced by radiation, and a linear dose-response has been noted for most solid cancers. Risks of radiation-related cancer are greatest for those exposed early in life, and these risks appear to persist throughout life. (orig.)

Cancer risks following diagnostic and therapeutic radiation exposure in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kleinerman, Ruth A.

2006-01-01

The growing use of interventional and fluoroscopic imaging in children represents a tremendous benefit for the diagnosis and treatment of benign conditions. Along with the increasing use and complexity of these procedures comes concern about the cancer risk associated with ionizing radiation exposure to children. Children are considerably more sensitive to the carcinogenic effects of ionizing radiation than adults, and children have a longer life expectancy in which to express risk. Numerous epidemiologic cohort studies of childhood exposure to radiation for treatment of benign diseases have demonstrated radiation-related risks of cancer of the thyroid, breast, brain and skin, as well as leukemia. Many fewer studies have evaluated cancer risk following diagnostic radiation exposure in children. Although radiation dose for a single procedure might be low, pediatric patients often receive repeated examinations over time to evaluate their conditions, which could result in relatively high cumulative doses. Several cohort studies of girls and young women subjected to multiple diagnostic radiation exposures have been informative about increased mortality from breast cancer with increasing radiation dose, and case-control studies of childhood leukemia and postnatal diagnostic radiation exposure have suggested increased risks with an increasing number of examinations. Only two long-term follow-up studies of cancer following cardiac catheterization in childhood have been conducted, and neither reported an overall increased risk of cancer. Most cancers can be induced by radiation, and a linear dose-response has been noted for most solid cancers. Risks of radiation-related cancer are greatest for those exposed early in life, and these risks appear to persist throughout life. (orig.)

The Medical Exposure to Ionizing Radiation and Protection of the Patient in Medical Imaging Procedures for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Purposes (Excluding Radiotherapy) using X-Rays in Israel - Risk - Cost and Benefit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben-Shlomo, A.

1998-10-01

Diagnostic and therapeutic radiology is playing a major role in modern medicine. The utilization of devices emitting ionizing radiation for medical diagnostic and therapeutic purposes is classified into three categories: a. Radiotherapy procedures for the treatment of malignant and benign tumors. b. Nuclear medicine procedures using radiopharmaceuticals that are introduced into the patient's body for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. c. Diagnostic and therapeutic x-ray imaging procedures. This group includes conventional radiography, conventional fluoroscopy, cardiac catheterization, angiography, CT, mammography, dental, and fluoroscopy operation procedures. A survey was carried out on a sample of three major Israeli hospitals in order to: 1. Determine the status of radiation protection of patients in Israel with regard to the use of x-rays in medical imaging and interventional radiology. 2. Assess the extent of exposure of the population to medical x-rays, and assess the collective risk in Israel in this relation (based on Icr-60). 3. Carry out a cost-benefit optimization procedure related to the means that should be used to reduce the exposure of Israeli patients under x-ray procedures. 4. Establish a of practical recommendations to reduce the x-ray radiation exposure of patients and to increase the image quality. 5. Establish a number of basic rules to be utilized by health policy makers in Israel

The Medical Exposure to Ionizing Radiation and Protection of the Patient in Medical Imaging Procedures for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Purposes (Excluding Radiotherapy) using X-Rays in Israel - Risk - Cost and Benefit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ben-Shlomo, A

1998-10-01

Diagnostic and therapeutic radiology is playing a major role in modern medicine. The utilization of devices emitting ionizing radiation for medical diagnostic and therapeutic purposes is classified into three categories: a. Radiotherapy procedures for the treatment of malignant and benign tumors. b. Nuclear medicine procedures using radiopharmaceuticals that are introduced into the patient's body for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. c. Diagnostic and therapeutic x-ray imaging procedures. This group includes conventional radiography, conventional fluoroscopy, cardiac catheterization, angiography, CT, mammography, dental, and fluoroscopy operation procedures. A survey was carried out on a sample of three major Israeli hospitals in order to: 1. Determine the status of radiation protection of patients in Israel with regard to the use of x-rays in medical imaging and interventional radiology. 2. Assess the extent of exposure of the population to medical x-rays, and assess the collective risk in Israel in this relation (based on Icr-60). 3. Carry out a cost-benefit optimization procedure related to the means that should be used to reduce the exposure of Israeli patients under x-ray procedures. 4. Establish a of practical recommendations to reduce the x-ray radiation exposure of patients and to increase the image quality. 5. Establish a number of basic rules to be utilized by health policy makers in Israel.

Radiation exposure of population due to medical diagnostic procedures in the USSR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vorob'ev, E.I.; Stavitskij, R.V.; Knizhnikov, V.A.; Barkhudarov, R.M.; Korsunskij, V.N.; Popov, V.I.; Tarasenko, Yu.I.; Postnikov, V.A.; Frolov, N.V.; Sidorin, V.P.

1984-01-01

The evaluation of radiation doses to population in the ussr on the basis of the data on frequency of 12 main forms of X-ray examinations and the results of measuring absorbed doses on tissue-kquivalent main's phantom are given. The evaluation of radiation exposure due to radiopharmaceutical preparations is based on consumption of 26 types of compounds in 320 national laboratories and i is performed by the methods developed in the framework of the mird committee (usa). In thhe active bone marrow, lungs mammary, glands thyroid and other organs (stomach, liver, spleen, etc.) the equivalent doses are determined and on their base the effective equivalent doses (eed). The average eed from x ray diagnostic examinations is 1.4 mSv per year (140 mrem per year) of which 55.4% falls on X-ray examination, 26.9% on radiography, 17.7% on mass miniature radiography (fluorography). Radionuclide diagnostics contribution is 3.2x10 -2 mSv per year (3.8 mrem per year). Medicinal radiation exposure approximately doubles the natural background, it is comparable with exposure in premises and essentially exceeds the radiation doses to population from other sources

Counseling Patients Exposed to Ionizing Radiation in Diagnostic Radiology During Pregnancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brnic, Z.; Leder, N.I.; Popic Ramac, J.; Vidjak, V.; Knezevic, Z.

2013-01-01

There are many false assumptions regarding influence of radiation on pregnant patients and fetus during diagnostic procedures in spite of scientific facts based on studies (both in general population and among physicians). These false assumptions are mostly based on the idea that every diagnostic procedure that uses ionizing radiation is a cause for serious concern and consideration for artificial abortion as a possible solution. We have analysed the data of counselling of pregnant patients exposed to ionizing radiation during diagnostic procedures in University Hospital Merkur, during a period of four years. In this period we had 26 patients come in counselling due to exposure to ionizing radiation during pregnancy. Results show that most of these patients have been exposed to radiation between 2nd and 3rd week of gestation (36 %), between 4th and 5th week - 32 %; before 2nd week - 24%; and after 6th week of gestation less than 8 %. Average doses were: up to 0.01 cGy in 46.2 % patients; 0.01 - 0.15 cGy in 19.2 % patients; 0.2 - 1 cGy in 26.9 % and 1 cGy or more in 7.7 % of patients. No one of the counselled patients had a medical indication for abortion, even though in a small percentage of patients abortion was a personal subjective decision. Considering that there are no Croatian guidelines for counselling patients exposed to ionizing radiation during pregnancy, recommendation is to use International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) guidelines for management of pregnant patients exposed to ionizing radiation.(author)

Diagnostic x-ray equipment compliance and facility survey. Recommended procedures for equipment and facility testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The Radiation Protection Bureau has set out guidelines for the testing of diagnostic x-ray equipment and facilities. This guide provides information for the x-ray inspector, test engineer, technologist, medical physicist and any other person responsible for verifying the regulatory compliance or safety of diagnostic x-ray equipment and facilities. Diagnostic x-radiation is an essential part of present day medical practice. The largest contributor of irradiation to the general population comes from diagnostic x-radiation. Although individual irradiations are usually small, there is a concern of possible excess cancer risk when large populations are irradiated. Unnecessary irradiations to patients from radiological procedures can be significantly reduced with little or no decrease in the value of medical diagnostic information. This can be achieved by using well designed x-ray equipment which is installed, used and maintained by trained personnel, and by the adoption of standardized procedures. In general, when patient surface dose is reduced, there is a corresponding decrease in dose to x-ray equipment operators and other health care personnel. 2 tabs., 4 figs

Diagnostic x-ray equipment compliance and facility survey. Recommended procedures for equipment and facility testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-12-31

The Radiation Protection Bureau has set out guidelines for the testing of diagnostic x-ray equipment and facilities. This guide provides information for the x-ray inspector, test engineer, technologist, medical physicist and any other person responsible for verifying the regulatory compliance or safety of diagnostic x-ray equipment and facilities. Diagnostic x-radiation is an essential part of present day medical practice. The largest contributor of irradiation to the general population comes from diagnostic x-radiation. Although individual irradiations are usually small, there is a concern of possible excess cancer risk when large populations are irradiated. Unnecessary irradiations to patients from radiological procedures can be significantly reduced with little or no decrease in the value of medical diagnostic information. This can be achieved by using well designed x-ray equipment which is installed, used and maintained by trained personnel, and by the adoption of standardized procedures. In general, when patient surface dose is reduced, there is a corresponding decrease in dose to x-ray equipment operators and other health care personnel. 2 tabs., 4 figs.

Children's exposure to diagnostic medical radiation and cancer risk: epidemiologic and dosimetric considerations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linet, Martha S.; Rajaraman, Preetha [National Cancer Institute, Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Bethesda, MD (United States); Kim, Kwang pyo [National Cancer Institute, Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Bethesda, MD (United States); Kyung Hee University, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi (Korea)

2009-02-15

While the etiology of most childhood cancers is largely unknown, epidemiologic studies have consistently found an association between exposure to medical radiation during pregnancy and risk of childhood cancer in offspring. The relation between early life diagnostic radiation exposure and occurrence of pediatric cancer risks is less clear. This review summarizes current and historical estimated doses for common diagnostic radiologic procedures as well as the epidemiologic literature on the role of maternal prenatal, children's postnatal and parental preconception diagnostic radiologic procedures on subsequent risk of childhood malignancies. Risk estimates are presented according to factors such as the year of birth of the child, trimester and medical indication for the procedure, and the number of films taken. The paper also discusses limitations of the methods employed in epidemiologic studies to assess pediatric cancer risks, the effects on clinical practice of the results reported from the epidemiologic studies, and clinical and public health policy implications of the findings. Gaps in understanding and additional research needs are identified. Important research priorities include nationwide surveys to estimate fetal and childhood radiation doses from common diagnostic procedures, and epidemiologic studies to quantify pediatric and lifetime cancer risks from prenatal and early childhood exposures to diagnostic radiography, CT, and fluoroscopically guided procedures. (orig.)

Diagnostic reference activities for nuclear medicine procedures in Australia and New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smart, R.C.; Towson, J.E.

2000-01-01

In July 1998 a survey of diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures in Australia and New Zealand was undertaken on behalf of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine (ANZSNM) and the Australasian Radiation Protection Society (ARPS) in order to establish diagnostic reference activities. A total of 96 responses were received representing 154 practices, comprising 45 public hospital departments, 21 private hospital departments, 87 private practices and 1 unspecified practice. The survey requested the usual activities administered for a standard adult, the method used to determine the activity for children and the minimum activities used for paediatric patients. Data was obtained for 80 different imaging procedures and for 17 non-imaging tracer studies. For those procedures for which information was available from 10 or more practices, 68 in total, the reference activity was calculated as the 75th percentile of the distribution of activities. The Most Common Activity, the Reference Activity, together with the effective dose in both male and female patients, is tabulated for all these procedures. Copyright (2000) Australasian Radiation Protection Society Inc

Triggering radiation alarm at security checks. Patients should be informed even after diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Palumbo, Barbara; Neumann, Irmgard; Havlik, Ernst; Palumbo, Renato; Sinzinger, Helmut

2009-01-01

During the last few years an increasing number of nuclear medicine patients in various countries evoked a radiation alarm after therapeutic or diagnostic procedures, and even after passive exposure. A prospective calculation of activity retention in the patient's body is difficult due to extremely high variation of uptake and kinetics. Furthermore, different sensitivities and distances of the detectors make a prospective calculation even more difficult. In this article a number of cases are being reported, related problems are discussed and the surprisingly very limited literature reviewed. In order to minimize problems after eventually triggering alarms, we strongly recommend that each patient receives a certificate providing personal data, tracer, dose, half-life of the radionuclide, type and date of procedure applied as well as the nuclear medicine unit to contact for further information. Furthermore, a closer cooperation and exchange of information between the authorities and local nuclear medicine societies, would be welcome.

Radiation safety and quality control assurance in X-ray diagnostics 1998

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Servomaa, A.

1998-03-01

The report is based on a seminar course of lectures 'Radiation safety and quality assurance in X-ray diagnostics 1998' organized by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) in Finland. The lectures included actual information on X-ray examinations: methods of quality assurance, methods of measuring and calculating patient doses, examination frequencies, patient doses, occupational doses, and radiation risks. Paediatric X-ray examinations and interventional procedures were the most specific topics. The new Council Directive 97/43/Euratom on medical exposure, and the European Guidelines on quality criteria for diagnostic radiographic images, were discussed in several lectures. Lectures on general radiation threats and preparedness, examples of radiation accidents, and emergency preparedness in hospitals were also included. (editor)

The IHS diagnostic X-ray equipment radiation protection program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knapp, A.; Byrns, G.; Suleiman, O.

1994-01-01

The Indian Health Service (IHS) operates or contracts with Tribal groups to operate 50 hospitals and approximately 165 primary ambulatory care centers. These facilities contain approximately 275 medical and 800 dental diagnostic x-ray machines. IHS environmental health personnel in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) developed a diagnostic x-ray protection program including standard survey procedures and menu-driven calculations software. Important features of the program include the evaluation of equipment performance collection of average patient entrance skin exposure (ESE) measurements for selected procedures, and quality assurance. The ESE data, collected using the National Evaluation of X-ray Trends (NEXT) protocol, will be presented. The IHS Diagnostic X-ray Radiation Protection Program is dynamic and is adapting to changes in technology and workload

Collective radiation dose from diagnostic x-ray examination in nine ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bernt Lindtjorn

Conclusion: Although the use of ionizing radiation for diagnostic medical procedures is an acceptable ... It is estimated that the adoption of rare earth screen technology might reduce the ... coated in a smooth layer on a plastic support or card.

Diagnostic x-ray procedures and risk of leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boice, J.D. Jr.; Morin, M.M.; Glass, A.G.; Friedman, G.D.; Stovall, M.; Hoover, R.N.; Fraumeni, J.F. Jr.

1991-01-01

Exposure to diagnostic x-rays and the risk of leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and multiple myeloma were studied within two prepaid health plans. Adult patients with leukemia (n = 565), NHL (n = 318), and multiple myeloma (n = 208) were matched to controls (n = 1390), and over 25,000 x-ray procedures were abstracted from medical records. Dose response was evaluated by assigning each x-ray procedure a score based on estimated bone marrow dose. X-ray exposure was not associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, one of the few malignant conditions never linked to radiation (relative risk [RR], 0.66). For all other forms of leukemia combined (n = 358), there was a slight elevation in risk (RR, 1.17) but no evidence of a dose-response relationship when x-ray procedures near the time of diagnosis were excluded. Similarly, patients with NHL were exposed to diagnostic x-ray procedures more often than controls (RR, 1.32), but the RR fell to 0.99 when the exposure to diagnostic x-ray procedures within 2 years of diagnosis was ignored. For multiple myeloma, overall risk was not significantly high (RR, 1.14), but there was consistent evidence of increasing risk with increasing numbers of diagnostic x-ray procedures. These data suggest that persons with leukemia and NHL undergo x-ray procedures frequently just prior to diagnosis for conditions related to the development or natural history of their disease. There was little evidence that diagnostic x-ray procedures were causally associated with leukemia or NHL. The risk for multiple myeloma, however, was increased among those patients who were frequently exposed to x-rays

Education and training in radiological protection for diagnostic and interventional procedures ICRP 113 in brief

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salama, S.; Gomaa, M. A.; Alshoufi, J.H.

2013-01-01

The international commission on radiological protection (ICRP) is the primary body in protection against ionizing radiation. Among its latest publication is ICRP publication 113 e ducation and training in radiological protection for diagnostic and interventional procedures . This document introduces diagnostic and interventional medical procedures using ionizing radiations in deep details. The document is approved by the commission in October 2010 and translated into Arabic at December 2011. This work is a continuation of the efforts series to translate some of the most important of the radiological protection references into the Arabic; aiming to maximize the benefit. The previous translation include WHO handbook on indoor radon: a public health perspective, issued by world health organization 2009 and Radiation Protection in Medicine, ICRP Publication 105 2007 that translated into Arabic with support of Arab atomic energy authority at 2011.

The simple analytical method for scattered radiation calculation in contrast X-ray diagnostic techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markovic, S; Pavlovic, R [Inst. of Nuclear Science Vinca, Belgrade (Yugoslavia). Radiation and Environmental Protection Lab.; Boreli, F [Fac. of Electrical Engineering, Belgrade (Yugoslavia)

1996-12-31

In realization of radiation protection measures for medical staff present during diagnostic procedures, the necessary condition is knowledge of the space - energy distributions of the scattered radiation from the patient. In this paper, the simple calculation procedure for the scattered radiation field of the actual diagnostic energies is presented. Starting from the single Compton scattering model and using the justified transformations the final equations in elementary form are derived. For numerical calculations the computer code ANGIO was created. The calculated results were confirmed by detailed dosimetric measurements of the scattered field around patient (the water phantom) in SSDL in the Institute of nuclear sciences `Vinca`, Belgrade. These results are good base for assessment of irradiation. The main irradiation source for the physician and the other members of the medical team is the back scattered radiation from patient - albedo. (author). 3 figs., 3 refs.

Absorbed dose to active red bone marrow from diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solomon, S.B.

1980-06-01

The bone-marrow dose arising from radiological procedures as carried out in Australia have been determined as part of a survey of population doses. This paper describes the method of calculation of the radiation doses to the active bone marrow from diagnostic radiography, fluoroscopy and radiotherapy. The results of the calculations are compared with the results of other models of bone-marrow dose for a number of diagnostic X-ray procedures

Radiation exposures to technologists from nuclear medicine imaging procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sloboda, R.S.; Schmid, M.G.; Willis, C.P.

1986-05-01

Radiation exposures incurred by nuclear medicine technologists during diagnostic imaging and gamma camera quality control (QC) were measured on a procedural basis over a three-month period using a portable, low-range, self-reading ion chamber. A total of more than 400 measurements were made for 15 selected procedures. From these, mean procedural exposures and standard deviations were calculated. The results show that daily flood phantom QC, at 0.58 mR, and gated cardiac studies, at 0.45 mR, were the two greatest sources of exposure. Other procedures resulted in exposures varying roughly from 0.10 to 0.20 mR. Difficult patients were responsible for a doubling of technologist exposure for many procedures. Standard deviations were large for all procedures, averaging 65% of the mean values. Comparison of technologist exposure inferred from the procedural measurements with the time coincident collective dose equivalent recorded by the TLD service of the Radiation Protection Bureau indicates that approximately half of the collective technologist exposure arose from patient handling and flood QC

Potential hazards of diagnostic radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Houston, C S; Shokeir, M H

1977-03-01

There are no precise data for determining the extent of somatic damage from small doses of radiation used in diagnostic radiology. Diagnostic radiation given to pregnant women, knowingly or unknowingly, should rarely reach teratogenic levels causing brain and eye abnormalities. Evidence suggests that it does increase the risk of childhood malignancy, especially leukemia. Although rapidly growing tissues seem most susceptible, all radiation probably carries a very small risk of carcinogenesis. Genetic damage is equally difficult to estimate. Diagnostic radiation of females, even in childhood, may be related to an increased incidence of Down's syndrome in older mothers. Radiation also causes point mutations, which may explain the increase of some genetic abnormalities in progeny of older fathers. Whenever an abdominal or pelvic radiograph is ordered before the end of the reproductive period, there must be a potential benefit to balance the small risk involved.

Cancer pancreatis, diagnostic procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graadal, Oe.; Schlichting, E.; Aasen, A.O.; Stadaas, J.O.

1990-01-01

151 patients treated for carcinoma of the pancreas at Ullevaal Hospital (Oslo University) during the period 1980-89 were studied. The most common initial symptom was abdominal pain. Other frequent debut symptoms were loss of weight and jaundice. ERCP and PTC were found to be the best diagnostic procedures. CT or ultrasonography were normal in 10-20% of the patients. Nearly all tumors of the pancreas were found by the ERCP procedure. Also angiography was used to evaluate operability of the pancreas tumor, but was found to be a very uncertain diagnostic method. This method will not be used in the future evaluation of patients with cancer of the pancreas. 13 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs

Patient radiation doses from neuroradiology procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia-Roman, M J; Abreu-Luis, J; Hernandez-Armas, J [Servicio de Fisica Medica, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Prada-Martinez, E [Servicio de Radiodiagnostico, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)

2001-03-01

Following the presentation of radiation-induced deterministic effects by some patients undergoing neuroradiological procedures during successive sessions, such as temporary epilation, in the 'Hospital Universitario de Canarias', measurements were made of dose to patients. The maximum dose-area product measured by ionization chamber during these procedures was 39617 cGy.cm{sup 2} in a diagnostic of aneurysm and the maximum dose to the skin measured by thermoluminescent dosemeters (TLDs) was 462.53 mGy. This can justify certain deterministic effects but it is unlikely that the patients will suffer serious effects from this skin dose. Also, measurements were made of effective dose about two usual procedures, embolisation of tumour und embolisation of aneurysm. These procedures were reproduced with an anthropomorphic phantom Rando and doses were measured with TLDs. Effective doses obtained were 3.79 mSv and 4.11 mSv, respectively. The effective dose valued by the program EFFDOSE was less than values measured with TLDs. (author)

Patient radiation doses from neuroradiology procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Roman, M.J.; Abreu-Luis, J.; Hernandez-Armas, J.; Prada-Martinez, E.

2001-01-01

Following the presentation of radiation-induced deterministic effects by some patients undergoing neuroradiological procedures during successive sessions, such as temporary epilation, in the 'Hospital Universitario de Canarias', measurements were made of dose to patients. The maximum dose-area product measured by ionization chamber during these procedures was 39617 cGy.cm 2 in a diagnostic of aneurysm and the maximum dose to the skin measured by thermoluminescent dosemeters (TLDs) was 462.53 mGy. This can justify certain deterministic effects but it is unlikely that the patients will suffer serious effects from this skin dose. Also, measurements were made of effective dose about two usual procedures, embolisation of tumour und embolisation of aneurysm. These procedures were reproduced with an anthropomorphic phantom Rando and doses were measured with TLDs. Effective doses obtained were 3.79 mSv and 4.11 mSv, respectively. The effective dose valued by the program EFFDOSE was less than values measured with TLDs. (author)

Radiation protection for the parent and child in diagnostic nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mountford, P.J.

1991-01-01

Administration of a radiopharmaceutical to a parent or child for diagnostic purposes will result in certain specific radiation hazards, yet it can yield information vital to patient management. These hazards have been cited as a reason for the reluctance of some referring clinicians and, indeed, nuclear medicine practitioners to exploit paediatric radiopharmaceutical investigations (Piepsz et al. 1991). Ignorance of these hazards has the following consequences. Firstly, a valuable diagnostic procedure could be denied to a parent or child patient without justification, thereby compromising their management. Secondly, inappropriate recommendations could result in either excessive restrictions or an unnecessarily high radiation dose to a patient's family and to hospital staff. All members of a nuclear medicine service should be familiar with these radiation risks in order to provide appropriate guidance and to dispel any unwarranted fears. (orig.)

Radiation dose to the operator during fluoroscopically guided spine procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roccatagliata, Luca; Pravata, Emanuele; Cianfoni, Alessandro [Department of Neuroradiology, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, Lugano (Switzerland); Presilla, Stefano [Unita di Fisica Medica, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Bellinzona (Switzerland)

2017-09-15

Fluoroscopy is widely used to guide diagnostic and therapeutic spine procedures. The purpose of this study was to quantify radiation incident on the operator (operator Air Kerma) during a wide range of fluoroscopy-guided spine procedures and its correlation with the amount of radiation incident on the patient (Kerma Area Product - KAP). We retrospectively included 57 consecutive fluoroscopically guided spine procedures. KAP [Gy cm{sup 2}] and total fluoroscopy time were recorded for each procedure. An electronic dosimeter recorded the operator Air Kerma [μGy] for each procedure. Operator Air Kerma for each procedure, correlation between KAP and operator Air Kerma, and between KAP and fluoroscopy time was obtained. Operator Air Kerma was widely variable across procedures, with median value of 6.4 μGy per procedure. Median fluoroscopy time and median KAP per procedure were 2.6 min and 4.7 Gy cm{sup 2}, respectively. There was correlation between operator Air Kerma and KAP (r{sup 2} = 0.60), with a slope of 1.6 μGy Air Kerma per unit Gy cm{sup 2} KAP incident on the patient and between fluoroscopy time and KAP (r{sup 2} = 0.63). Operator Air Kerma during individual fluoroscopy-guided spine procedures can be approximated from the commonly and readily available information of the total amount of radiation incident on the patient, measured as KAP. (orig.)

Establish radiation protection programme for diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mboya, G.

2014-01-01

Mammography is an effective method used for breast diagnostics and screening. The aim of this project is to review the literature on how to establish radiation protection programme for mammography in order to protect the patients, the occupationally exposed workers and the members of the public from harmful effects of ionizing radiation. It reviews some of the trends in mammography doses and dosimetric principles such as average glandular dose in the glandular tissue which is used for description of radiation risk, also the factors affecting patient doses are discussed. However, the average glandular dose should not be used directly to estimate the radiation risk from mammography. Risk is calculated under certain assumptions from determined entrance surface air kerma. Given the increase in population dose, emphasis is placed on the justification and optimization of the mammographic procedures. Protection is optimized by the radiation dose being appropriate with the purpose of the mammographic examination. The need to establish diagnostic reference levels as an optimization is also discussed. In order to obtain high quality mammograms at low dose to the breast, it is necessary to use the correct equipment and perform periodic quality control tests on mammography equipment. It is noted that in order to achieve the goal of this project, the application of radiation protection should begin at the time of requesting for mammography examination, positioning of the patient, irradiation, image processing and interpretation of mammogram. It is recommended that close cooperation between radiology technologists, radiologist, medical physicists, regulatory authority and other support workers be required and established to obtain a consistent and effective level of radiation protection in a mammography facility. (author)

Inactivation and stability of viral diagnostic reagents treated by gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, L.A.; Freeman, C.Y.; Hall, H.E.; Forrester, B.D.

1990-01-01

The objective of this study was to apply the pertinent findings from gamma inactivation of virus infectivity to the production of high quality diagnostic reagents. A Gammacell 220 was used to subject 38 viruses grown in either susceptible tissue cultures or embryonated chicken eggs to various doses of gamma radiation from a cobalt-60 source. The radiation required to reduce viral infectivity was 0.42 to 3.7 megarads (Mrad). The effect of gamma treatment on the antigenic reactivity of reagents for the complement fixation (CF), hemagglutination (HA) and neuraminadase assays was determined. Influenza antigens inactivated with 1.7 Mrad displayed comparable potency, sensitivity, specificity and stability to those inactivated by standard procedures with beta-propiolactone (BPL). Significant inactivation of influenza N1 and B neuraminidase occurred with >2.4 Mrad radiation at temperatures above 4 0 C. All 38 viruses were inactivated, and CF or HA antigens were prepared successfully. Antigenic potency remained stable with all antigens for 3 years and with 83% after 5 years storage. Influenza HA antigens evaluated after 9 years of storage demonstrated 86% stability. Gamma radiation is safer than chemical inactivation procedures and is a reliable and effective replacement for BPL in preparing diagnostic reagents. (author)

Inactivation and stability of viral diagnostic reagents treated by gamma radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, L A; Freeman, C Y; Hall, H E; Forrester, B D [Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA (USA)

1990-10-01

The objective of this study was to apply the pertinent findings from gamma inactivation of virus infectivity to the production of high quality diagnostic reagents. A Gammacell 220 was used to subject 38 viruses grown in either susceptible tissue cultures or embryonated chicken eggs to various doses of gamma radiation from a cobalt-60 source. The radiation required to reduce viral infectivity was 0.42 to 3.7 megarads (Mrad). The effect of gamma treatment on the antigenic reactivity of reagents for the complement fixation (CF), hemagglutination (HA) and neuraminadase assays was determined. Influenza antigens inactivated with 1.7 Mrad displayed comparable potency, sensitivity, specificity and stability to those inactivated by standard procedures with beta-propiolactone (BPL). Significant inactivation of influenza N1 and B neuraminidase occurred with >2.4 Mrad radiation at temperatures above 4{sup 0}C. All 38 viruses were inactivated, and CF or HA antigens were prepared successfully. Antigenic potency remained stable with all antigens for 3 years and with 83% after 5 years storage. Influenza HA antigens evaluated after 9 years of storage demonstrated 86% stability. Gamma radiation is safer than chemical inactivation procedures and is a reliable and effective replacement for BPL in preparing diagnostic reagents. (author).

Pediatric radiation dose during cardiac catheterization procedures in Sudan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Nada A.; Nayel, A. I.

2017-01-01

Children are more radio sensitive than adult. This study aims to assess radiation doses and the associated hazards to pediatric during cardiac catheterization procedures. Radiation dose for 112 patients was estimated in the biggest cardiac center in Sudan. The median KAP in Gy cm"2, CK in mGy, number of frames and fluoroscopy time in minutes were (4.6, 29.0, 340.4, 13.5) and (6.0, 35.0, 318, 9.8) for the diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac procedures, respectively. The median (KAP in Gy cm"2, effective dose in mSv) for different age groups in the intervals of less than 1 year, 1-<5 years, 5-<10 years and 10- 15 years old were (2.2, 4.4), (2.5, 5.0), (4.2, 5.1) and (8.5, 4.1) respectively. Including all the procedures using the multiplicative model of ICRP 60, the mean attributable lifetime risk for stochastic effect was 0.08 and 0.05% for girls and boys, respectively. Training is needed to raise staff awareness about radiation protection. (authors)

Patient radiation exposure in right versus left trans-radial approach for coronary procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rigattieri, Stefano; Di Russo, Cristian; Cera, Maria; Fedele, Silvio; Sciahbasi, Alessandro [Interventional Cardiology Unit, Sandro Pertini Hospital, Rome (Italy); Pugliese, Francesco Rocco [Emergency Department Sandro Pertini Hospital, Rome (Italy)

2015-01-15

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare radiation exposure, assessed by dose-area product (DAP), in right trans-radial approach (RR) versus left trans-radial approach (LR) for coronary procedures. Background: In LR the catheter course is more similar to trans-femoral approach, thus allowing an easier negotiation of coronary ostia which, in turn, might translate into reduced fluoroscopy time (FT) and radiation exposure as compared to RR. Methods: We retrospectively selected diagnostic and interventional procedures (PCI) performed by RR or LR at our center from May 2009 to May 2014. We only included in the analysis the procedures in which DAP values were available. Results: We analyzed 1464 procedures, 1175 of which performed by RR (80.3%) and 289 by LR (19.7%). Median DAP values were significantly higher in RR as compared to LR for diagnostic and interventional procedures (4482 vs. 3540 cGy.cm{sup 2} and 11523 vs. 10086 cGy.cm{sup 2}, respectively; p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in FT and in contrast volume (CV). In the propensity-matched cohort, consisting of 269 procedures for each group, no significant differences between LR and RR were observed in median DAP values for both diagnostic and interventional procedures (3990 vs. 3542 cGy.cm{sup 2} and 9964 vs. 10216 cGy.cm{sup 2}, respectively; p = ns); FT and CV were also similar. At multiple linear regression analysis laterality of trans-radial approach was not associated with DAP. Conclusions: In an experienced trans-radial center LR is not associated with a reduction in radiation exposure, FT or CV as compared to RR. - Highlights: • Right trans-radial approach is by far more commonly used than left trans-radial approach. • Left trans-radial approach has the advantage of an easier catheter manipulation, more similar to trans-femoral approach. • This could reduce fluoroscopy time and radiation exposure. • We conducted a retrospective study to investigate patient radiation

Measurement of patient radiation doses in certain urography procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sulieman, A.; Barakat, H.; Zailae, A.; Abuderman, A.; Theodorou, K.

2015-01-01

Patients are exposed to significant radiation doses during diagnostic and interventional urological procedures. This study aimed to measure patient entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) and to estimate the effective dose during intravenous urography (IVU), extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL), and ascending urethrogram (ASU) procedures. ESAK was measured in patients using calibrated thermo luminance dosimeters, GR200A). Effective doses (E) were calculated using the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) software. A total of 179 procedures were investigated. 27.9 % of the patients underwent IVU procedures, 27.9 % underwent ESWL procedures and 44.2 % underwent ASU procedures. The mean ESAK was 2.1, 4.18 and 4.9 mGy for IVU, ESWL, and ASU procedures, respectively. Differences in patient ESAK for the same procedure were observed. The mean ESAK values were comparable with those in previous studies. (authors)

Radiation protection for the parent and child in diagnostic nuclear medicine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mountford, P.J. (Kent and Canterbury Hospital (UK). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine)

1991-12-01

Administration of a radiopharmaceutical to a parent or child for diagnostic purposes will result in certain specific radiation hazards, yet it can yield information vital to patient management. These hazards have been cited as a reason for the reluctance of some referring clinicians and, indeed, nuclear medicine practitioners to exploit paediatric radiopharmaceutical investigations (Piepsz et al. 1991). Ignorance of these hazards has the following consequences. Firstly, a valuable diagnostic procedure could be denied to a parent or child patient without justification, thereby compromising their management. Secondly, inappropriate recommendations could result in either excessive restrictions or an unnecessarily high radiation dose to a patient's family and to hospital staff. All members of a nuclear medicine service should be familiar with these radiation risks in order to provide appropriate guidance and to dispel any unwarranted fears. (orig.).

Diagnostic imaging procedure volume in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, J.L.; Abernathy, D.L.

1983-01-01

Comprehensive data on 1979 and 1980 diagnostic imaging procedure volume were collected from a stratified random sample of U.S. short-term general-care hospitals and private practices of radiologists, cardiologists, obstetricians/gynecologists, orthopedic surgeons, and neurologists/neurosurgeons. Approximately 181 million imaging procedures (within the study scope) were performed in 1980. Despite the rapidly increasing use of newer imaging methods, plain film radiography (140.3 million procedures) and contrast studies (22.9 million procedures) continue to comprise the vast majority of diagnostic imaging volume. Ultrasound, computed tomography, nuclear medicine, and special procedures make up less than 10% of total diagnostic imaging procedures. Comparison of the data from this study with data from an earlier study indicates that imaging procedure volume in hospitals expanded at an annual growth rate of almost 8% from 1973 to 1980

Foetal Radiation Dose and Risk from Diagnostic Radiology Procedures: A Multinational Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osei, Ernest K.; Darko, Johnson

2012-01-01

In diagnostic radiology examinations there is a benefit that the patient derives from the resulting diagnosis. Given that so many examinations are performed each year, it is inevitable that there will be occasions when an examination(s) may be inadvertently performed on pregnant patients or occasionally it may become clinically necessary to perform an examination(s) on a pregnant patient. In all these circumstances it is necessary to request an estimation of the foetal dose and risk. We initiated a study to investigate fetal doses from different countries. Exposure techniques on 367 foetuses from 414 examinations were collected and investigated. The FetDoseV4 program was used for all dose and risk estimations. The radiation doses received by the 367 foetuses ranges: <0.001–21.9 mGy depending on examination and technique. The associated probability of induced hereditary effect ranges: <1 in 200000000 (5 × 10 −9 ) to 1 in 10000 (1 × 10 −4 ) and the risk of childhood cancer ranges <1 in 12500000 (8 × 10 −8 ) to 1 in 500 (2 × 10 −3 ). The data indicates that foetal doses from properly conducted diagnostic radiology examinations will not result in any deterministic effect and a negligible risk of causing radiation induced hereditary effect in the descendants of the unborn child

Attitudes of Kuwaiti public towards the radiation risks of nuclear medicine diagnositic procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elgazzar, AH; Al-Ghani, HE; Collier, BD; Al-Saeedi, F; Al-Shammari, J; Mahmoud, AM; Omar, A

2004-01-01

Public perception of radiation risks of diagnostic imaging procedures differs from that of professionals working in the field. The perception probably varies among societies and may vary within the same society. The objective of this study is to determine the public perception in Kuwait represented by patients referred for nuclear medicine diagnostic studies. With the assistance of Arabic speaking investigators, 239 patients (139 males and 100 females) with a mean age of 37 years (Range of 15 to 90 years) completed a questionnaire about their opinion of radiation fear from the nuclear medicine procedures as well as their education, income, ability to speak English and foreign travel experience. Radiation phobia was measured by asking the patient to to the statement 'Radiation from nuclear medicine examination is likely to harm my body' by one of 5 choices, 1 strongly agree, 2 somewhat agree, 3 uncertain, 4 somewhat disagree, 5 strongly disagree. Responses 1 and 2 were classified as radiation phobia. Pearson correlation coefficient and logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis. Forty four percent of patients had radiation phobia. Only education significantly correlated with radiation phobia. Income, ability to speak English, age, gender or travel experience did not show significant correlation. Our study indicates that radiation phobia is common and is probably widespread throughout the society. Patient education should emphasize radiation benefits and actual risks and include the entire community. (authors)

Proposal of a survey of radiation protection procedures during breast feeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Liliane dos; Oliveira, Silvia M. Velasques de

2009-01-01

Contamination can occur by breast milk ingestion involving mothers subjected to diagnostic procedures or treatment with radiopharmaceuticals, which can reach high concentrations in milk causing significant absorbed doses to the children organs. Besides internal dose, close contact between the baby and his mother give rise to external exposures. In Brazil, 7% of diagnostic procedures use 131 I or 123 I for thyroid imaging and 84% of these were hold by women. For 131 I, 67 Ga and 201 Tl, is recommended breast feeding cessation. The present work proposes a survey of the state of the art of radiation protection to breast feeding infants. It was planned interviews with nuclear medicine staff applying a questionnaire in order to assess specific procedures to women in reproductive age. This is 'on progress work'. (author)

Radiation shielding for TFTR DT diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ku, L.P.; Johnson, D.W.; Liew, S.L.

1994-01-01

The authors illustrate the designs of radiation shielding for the TFTR DT diagnostics using the ACX and TVTS systems as specific examples. The main emphasis here is on the radiation transport analyses carried out in support of the designs. Initial results from the DT operation indicate that the diagnostics have been functioning as anticipated and the shielding designs are satisfactory. The experience accumulated in the shielding design for the TFTR DT diagnostics should be useful and applicable to future devices, such as TPX and ITER, where many similar diagnostic systems are expected to be used

Diagnostic imaging procedures during pregnancy: what are the fetal risks?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, K.

2008-01-01

An important facet of health care is the counsel of patients seeking a better understanding of their medical treatment. One of the most challenging scenarios is the management of female patients exposed to ionizing radiation while pregnant. It requires careful consideration of both maternal benefit and fetal risk. Given the increased frequency of diagnostic examinations involving ionizing radiation, this situation has become commonplace. This paper reviews current literature discussing the risk associated with prenatal exposure to ionizing radiation. The fetal dose received during common radiological procedures is reported in order to emphasize that these doses do not exceed threshold levels for deterministic effects. The definitive cancer risk associated with radiation exposure in utero has yet to be established. This paper will also show that physicians who deal with pregnant women are generally uninformed or misinformed of the doses and risks associated with the exams that they prescribe. This lack of information could be leading to inappropriate advice and actions with respect to patient care. (author)

Diagnostic imaging procedures during pregnancy: what are the fetal risks?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, K. [McMaster Univ., Hamilton, Ontario (Canada)

2008-07-01

An important facet of health care is the counsel of patients seeking a better understanding of their medical treatment. One of the most challenging scenarios is the management of female patients exposed to ionizing radiation while pregnant. It requires careful consideration of both maternal benefit and fetal risk. Given the increased frequency of diagnostic examinations involving ionizing radiation, this situation has become commonplace. This paper reviews current literature discussing the risk associated with prenatal exposure to ionizing radiation. The fetal dose received during common radiological procedures is reported in order to emphasize that these doses do not exceed threshold levels for deterministic effects. The definitive cancer risk associated with radiation exposure in utero has yet to be established. This paper will also show that physicians who deal with pregnant women are generally uninformed or misinformed of the doses and risks associated with the exams that they prescribe. This lack of information could be leading to inappropriate advice and actions with respect to patient care. (author)

Calculation of radiation exposure in diagnostic radiology. Method and surveys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duvauferrier, R.; Ramee, A.; Ezzeldin, K.; Guibert, J.L.

1984-01-01

A computerized method for evaluating the radiation exposure of the main target organs during various diagnostic radiologic procedures is described. This technique was used for educational purposes: study of exposure variations according to the technical modalities of a given procedure, and study of exposure variations according to various technical protocols (IVU, EGD barium study, etc.). This method was also used for studying exposure of patients during hospitalization in the Rennes Regional Hospital Center (France) in 1982, according to departments (urology, neurology, etc.). This method and results of these three studies are discussed [fr

Staff radiation exposure in radiation diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khakimova, N.U.; Malisheva, E.Yu.; Shosafarova, Sh.G.

2010-01-01

Present article is devoted to staff radiation exposure in radiation diagnostics. Data on staff radiation exposure obtained during 2005-2008 years was analyzed. It was found that average individual doses of staff of various occupations in Dushanbe city for 2008 year are at 0.29-2.16 mSv range. They are higher than the average health indicators but lower than maximum permissible dose. It was defined that paramedical personnel receives the highest doses among the various categories of staff.

Patient radiation dose audits for fluoroscopically guided interventional procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balter, Stephen; Rosenstein, Marvin; Miller, Donald L.; Schueler, Beth; Spelic, David

2011-01-01

Purpose: Quality management for any use of medical x-ray imaging should include monitoring of radiation dose. Fluoroscopically guided interventional (FGI) procedures are inherently clinically variable and have the potential for inducing deterministic injuries in patients. The use of a conventional diagnostic reference level is not appropriate for FGI procedures. A similar but more detailed quality process for management of radiation dose in FGI procedures is described. Methods: A method that takes into account both the inherent variability of FGI procedures and the risk of deterministic injuries from these procedures is suggested. The substantial radiation dose level (SRDL) is an absolute action level (with regard to patient follow-up) below which skin injury is highly unlikely and above which skin injury is possible. The quality process for FGI procedures collects data from all instances of a given procedure from a number of facilities into an advisory data set (ADS). An individual facility collects a facility data set (FDS) comprised of all instances of the same procedure at that facility. The individual FDS is then compared to the multifacility ADS with regard to the overall shape of the dose distributions and the percent of instances in both the ADS and the FDS that exceed the SRDL. Results: Samples of an ADS and FDS for percutaneous coronary intervention, using the dose metric of reference air kerma (K a,r ) (i.e., the cumulative air kerma at the reference point), are used to illustrate the proposed quality process for FGI procedures. Investigation is warranted whenever the FDS is noticeably different from the ADS for the specific FGI procedure and particularly in two circumstances: (1) When the facility's local median K a,r exceeds the 75th percentile of the ADS and (2) when the percent of instances where K a,r exceeds the facility-selected SRDL is greater for the FDS than for the ADS. Conclusions: Analysis of the two data sets (ADS and FDS) and of the

Radiation protection type testing and licensing of diagnostic X-ray equipment in the GDR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taschner, P.; Poulheim, K.F.; Feldheim, W.

1987-01-01

The results of more than 10 years experience in type testing and type licensing of diagnostic X-ray equipment with respect to meeting radiation protection requirements as well as the implications for the conduct of these procedures resulting from the introduction of new radiation protection legislation in 1983 and 1984, are described. At present an updated version of the 'Regulation of 16 December 1977 concerning radiation protection type testing and licensing of sealed radiation sources and equipment emitting ionizing radiation' is being prepared. (author)

Radiation safety and quality control assurance in X-ray diagnostics 1998; Saeteilyturvallisuus ja laadunvarmistus roentgendiagnostiikassa 1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Servomaa, A [ed.

1998-03-01

The report is based on a seminar course of lectures `Radiation safety and quality assurance in X-ray diagnostics 1998` organized by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) in Finland. The lectures included actual information on X-ray examinations: methods of quality assurance, methods of measuring and calculating patient doses, examination frequencies, patient doses, occupational doses, and radiation risks. Paediatric X-ray examinations and interventional procedures were the most specific topics. The new Council Directive 97/43/Euratom on medical exposure, and the European Guidelines on quality criteria for diagnostic radiographic images, were discussed in several lectures. Lectures on general radiation threats and preparedness, examples of radiation accidents, and emergency preparedness in hospitals were also included. (editor)

Radiation effects in IFMIF Li target diagnostic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molla, J.; Vila, R.; Shikama, T.; Horiike, H.; Simakov, S.; Ciotti, M.; Ibarra, A.

2009-01-01

Diagnostics for the lithium target will be crucial for the operation of IFMIF. Several parameters as the lithium temperature, target thickness or wave pattern must be monitored during operation. Radiation effects may produce malfunctioning in any of these diagnostics due to the exposure to high radiation fields. The main diagnostic systems proposed for the operation of IFMIF are reviewed in this paper from the point of view of radiation damage. The main tools for the assessment of the performance of these diagnostics are the neutronics calculations by using specialised codes and the information accumulated during the last decades on the radiation effects in functional materials, components and diagnostics for ITER. This analysis allows to conclude that the design of some of the diagnostic systems must be revised to assure the high availability required for the target system.

Occupational Exposure to Diagnostic Radiology in Workers without Training in Radiation Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaona, Enrique; Enriquez, Jesus G. Franco

2004-01-01

The physicians, technicians, nurses, and others involved in radiation areas constitute the largest group of workers occupationally exposed to man-made sources of radiation. Personnel radiation exposure must be monitored for safety and regulatory considerations, this assessment may need to be made over a period of one month or several months. The purpose of this study was to carry out an exploratory survey of occupational exposures associated with diagnostic radiology. The personnel dosimeters used in this study were thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). The reported number of monitored workers was 110 of different departments of radiology of the Mexican Republic without education in radiation safety, included general fluoscopic/radiographic imaging, computed tomography and mammography procedures. Physicians and X-ray technologist in diagnostic radiology receive an average annual effective dose of 2.9 mSv with range from 0.18 to 5.64 mSv. The average level of occupational exposures is generally similar to the global average level of natural radiation exposure. The annual global per capita effective dose due to natural radiation sources is 2.4 mSv (UNSCEAR 2000 Report). There is not significant difference between average occupational exposures and natural radiation exposure for p < 0.05

Review on patients radiation dose and frequency of procedures during medical exposure in Sudan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abu Baker, Samah Mohamed Nasr

2015-09-01

The aim of this study was to estimate patient dose, the annual frequency and the number of staff and devices in the medical applications of ionizing radiation in Sudan. Survey was conducted on diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. With respect to diagnostic radiology, only patient radiation dose was estimated. The data for diagnostic radiology was obtained from 24 peer reviewed scientific published literatures during the years ( 2006 - 2015). The collected publications included about 64 Sudanese hospitals covering different types of diagnostic exams. A values of the effective dose for pediatrics and adult patients were within the ranges of similar worldwide values published by UNSCEAR report in 2008 with exceptional to fluoroscopy hysterosalpingography for adult patients. For nuclear medicine procedures, questionnaires were distributed to five hospitals representing the whole existing NM department in Sudan at the time of of study. The estimated total annual frequency of diagnostic procedures was 0.2 per 1000 population. The estimated total annual collective and annual per caput effective dose from all NM procedures were 16.268 man Sv and 0.5 μSv, respectively. Comparing the annual per caput effective dose with UNSCEAR value our results was less than the worldwide value and greater than the value for heath care level 111-1 v countries. Questionnaires were also distributed to collect data on radiotherapy procedures performed in the two existing radioisotopes Sudanese hospitals. The prescribed dose and the number of fractions were comparable between the two hospitals. The minimum prescribed dose was 20 Gy with 5 fractions for nasopharynx (NPH) palliative and the maximum prescribed dose was 64 Gy with 32 fractions for prostate.(Author)

Usefulness of non-lead aprons in radiation protection for physicians performing interventional procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuguchi, M.; Chida, K.; Taura, M.; Inaba, Y.; Ebata, A.; Yamada, S.

2008-01-01

At present, interventional radiology (IVR) tends to involve long procedures (long radiation duration), and physicians are near to the source of scattered radiation. Hence, shielding is critical in protecting physicians from radiation. Protective aprons and additional lead-shielding devices, such as table-side lead drapes, are important means of protecting the physician from scattered radiation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether non-lead aprons are effective in protecting physicians from radiation during IVR procedures. In this study, the radiation protection effects of commercially available protective lead and non-lead aprons, when exposed to diagnostic X rays, are compared. The performance of these non-lead and lead aprons was similar for scattered X rays at tube voltages of 60-120 kV. Properly designed non-lead aprons are thus more suitable for physicians because they weigh ∼20% less than the lead aprons, and are non-toxic. (authors)

Patients exposure assessment for radiographic procedures in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arandjic, D.; Ciraj-Bjelac, O.; Stankovic, K.; Lazarevic, Dj.; Ciraj-Bjelac, O.)

2007-01-01

In this work the results of dose assessment for the most frequent radiographic procedures in diagnostic radiology are shown. Entrance surface doses were assessed for 7 radiographic procedures. Three hospitals, six x-ray units in total, were enrolled in investigation. Patient doses were estimated based on results of x-ray tube output measurements. Finally, doses were compared with Diagnostic reference level. Higher dose values were observed for chest examinations. In comparison with results from other countries, doses from this procedure in Serbia are significantly higher. Estimated doses for other procedures were well below Diagnostic reference levels [sr

Radiation dose during angiographic procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavoie, Ch.; Rasuli, P.

2001-01-01

The use of angiographic procedures is becoming more prevalent as new techniques and equipment are developed. There have been concerns in the scientific community about the level of radiation doses received by patients, and indirectly by staff, during some of these radiological procedures. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of radiation dose from angiographic procedures to patient at the Ottawa Hospital, General Campus. Radiation dose measurements, using Thermo-Luminescent Dosimeters (TLDs), were performed on more than 100 patients on various procedures. The results show that while the patient dose from the great majority of angiographic procedures is less than 2 Gy, a significant number of procedures, especially interventional procedures may have doses greater than 2 Gy and may lead to deterministic effects. (author)

[Radiation protection in medical research : Licensing requirement for the use of radiation and advice for the application procedure].

Science.gov (United States)

Minkov, V; Klammer, H; Brix, G

2017-07-01

In Germany, persons who are to be exposed to radiation for medical research purposes are protected by a licensing requirement. However, there are considerable uncertainties on the part of the applicants as to whether licensing by the competent Federal Office for Radiation Protection is necessary, and regarding the choice of application procedure. The article provides explanatory notes and practical assistance for applicants and an outlook on the forthcoming new regulations concerning the law on radiation protection of persons in the field of medical research. Questions and typical mistakes in the application process were identified and evaluated. The qualified physicians involved in a study are responsible for deciding whether a license is required for the intended application of radiation. The decision can be guided by answering the key question whether the study participants would undergo the same exposures regarding type and extent if they had not taken part in the study. When physicians are still unsure about their decision, they can seek the advisory service provided by the professional medical societies. Certain groups of people are particularly protected through the prohibition or restriction of radiation exposure. A simplified licensing procedure is used for a proportion of diagnostic procedures involving radiation when all related requirements are met; otherwise, the regular licensing procedure should be used. The new radiation protection law, which will enter into force on the 31st of december 2018, provides a notification procedure in addition to deadlines for both the notification and the licensing procedures. In the article, the authors consider how eligible studies involving applications of radiation that are legally not admissible at present may be feasible in the future, while still ensuring a high protection level for study participants.

Radiation levels in nuclear diagnostic examinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vermeulen, A.M.T.I.

1987-01-01

To estimate the risks for a pregnant radiological worker, radiation level measurements are executed for common nuclear diagnostic techniques. These measurements are combined with the time which the radiologic worker is present during the performance of the diagnostic techniques. It is concluded that a radiologic worker is receiving less than 5 mSv during pregnancy. This is the case with in vivo determination in a department of nuclear medicine with common diagnostic techniques. Reduction of radiation doses during pregnancy is possible by reduction of heart function examinations, skeletal examinations and brain scans. 1 figure; 13 tabs

Radiation exposure of an anaesthesiologist in catheterisation and electrophysiological cardiac procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andreoli, Stefano; Moretti, Renzo; Lorini, Ferdinando Luca; Lagrotta, Mariavittoria

2016-01-01

Sometimes, cardiac catheterisation and electrophysiological procedures, diagnostic and interventional, require an anaesthesiological support. The anaesthesiologist receives radiation doses depending on various factors, such as type of procedure and exposure modality, anaesthesiological technique, individual protective devices and operator experience. The aim of this study was to investigate the dose per procedure, the exposure inhomogeneity and the effective dose, E, of a senior anaesthesiologist in the haemodynamic laboratory of Ospedali Riuniti, Bergamo. The dose monitoring was routinely performed with sets of several thermoluminescent dosemeters and an electronic personal dosemeter. The study covered 300 consecutive procedures over 1 y. The anaesthesiologist wore a protective apron, a thyroid collar and glasses (0.5 mm lead-equivalent). (authors)

Dosimetric methodology and reference system for diagnostic level X radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potiens, Maria da Penha Albuquerque

1999-01-01

Several methodologies for the calibration of diagnostic radiology instruments were developed and established at the Calibration Laboratory of IPEN. These established radiation qualities are recommended by international standards. The methods may be used in the calibration procedures of survey meters used in radiation protection measurements (scattered radiation), instruments used in direct beams (attenuated and non attenuated beams) and quality control instruments. A reference system was proposed using two identical ionization chambers developed at IPEN. They differ only by the collecting electrode material, one of aluminium and the other of graphite. The different energetic dependence of the chamber's response provided a ratio related to the tube potential. The variation of only 0.28%, from 14.3 to 111 keV, on the energetic dependence of the graphite electrode chamber, provided the possibility of air kerma rate determination in the studied radiation beams. (author)

Radiation control standards and procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1956-12-14

This manual contains the Radiation Control Standards'' and Radiation Control Procedures'' at Hanford Operations which have been established to provide the necessary control radiation exposures within Irradiation Processing Department. Provision is also made for including, in the form of Bulletins'', other radiological information of general interest to IPD personnel. The purpose of the standards is to establish firm radiological limits within which the Irradiation Processing Department will operate, and to outline our radiation control program in sufficient detail to insure uniform and consistent application throughout all IPD facilities. Radiation Control Procedures are intended to prescribe the best method of accomplishing an objective within the limitations of the Radiation Control Standards. A procedure may be changed at any time provided the suggested changes is generally agreeable to management involved, and is consistent with department policies and the Radiation Control Standards.

Radiation doses to adult patients in interventional procedure: the first data for the Biobio region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ubeda, C.A.; Nocetti, D.A.; Robles, I.L.

2013-01-01

The main objective of this study was to estimate the levels of radiation to the patient in interventional cardiology procedures and neurological (diagnostic and therapeutic) in the main public hospital in Chile, in the region of Biobio

[Costing nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures].

Science.gov (United States)

Markou, Pavlos

2005-01-01

To the Editor: Referring to a recent special report about the cost analysis of twenty-nine nuclear medicine procedures, I would like to clarify some basic aspects for determining costs of nuclear medicine procedure with various costing methodologies. Activity Based Costing (ABC) method, is a new approach in imaging services costing that can provide the most accurate cost data, but is difficult to perform in nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures. That is because ABC requires determining and analyzing all direct and indirect costs of each procedure, according all its activities. Traditional costing methods, like those for estimating incomes and expenses per procedure or fixed and variable costs per procedure, which are widely used in break-even point analysis and the method of ratio-of-costs-to-charges per procedure may be easily performed in nuclear medicine departments, to evaluate the variability and differences between costs and reimbursement - charges.

The estimation of radiation effective dose from diagnostic medical procedures in general population of northern Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shabestani Monfared, A.; Abdi, R.

2006-01-01

The risks of low-dose Ionizing radiation from radiology and nuclear medicine are not clearly determined. Effective dose to population is a very important factor in risk estimation. The study aimed to determine the effective dose from diagnostic radiation medicine in a northern province of Iran. Materials and Methods: Data about various radiologic and nuclear medicine procedures were collected from all radiology and nuclear medicine departments In Mazandaran Province (population = 2,898,031); and using the standard dosimetry tables, the total dose, dose per examination, and annual effective dose per capita as well as the annual gonadal dose per capita were estimated. Results: 655,730 radiologic examinations in a year's period, lead to 1.45 mSv, 0.33 mSv and 0.31 mGy as average effective dose per examination, annual average effective dose to member of the public, and annual average gonadal dose per capita, respectively. The frequency of medical radiologic examinations was 2,262 examinations annually per 10,000 members of population. However, the total number of nuclear medicine examinations in the same period was 7074, with 4.37 mSv, 9.6 μSv and 9.8 μGy, as average effective dose per examination, annual average effective dose to member of the public and annual average gonadal dose per caput, respectively. The frequency of nuclear medicine examination was 24 examinations annually per 10,000 members of population. Conclusion: The average effective dose per examination was nearly similar to other studies. However, the average annual effective dose and annual average gonadal dose per capita were less than the similar values in other reports, which could be due to lesser number of radiation medicine examinations in the present study

Unproven diagnostic procedures in IgE-mediated allergic diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Niggemann, B; Grüber, C

2004-08-01

A considerable body of literature on therapeutic aspects of complementary and alternative medicine has been published in recent years, but little is known on diagnostic procedures. This short review lists complementary and alternative diagnostic procedures for the diagnosis of allergic diseases and presents an assessment of their usefulness for the daily practice. The review of the literature revealed that neither the determination of specific immunoglobulin G-antibodies in serum, the hair-analysis, the cytotoxic test, kinesiology, iridology, or electrodermal testing represent useful tests for the daily practice. To date, no complementary or alternative diagnostic procedure can be recommended as a meaningful element in the diagnostic work-up of allergic diseases. This is especially true for food allergy: properly performed oral food challenges still represent the gold standard for implementing specific diets in food allergic individuals. Ineffective diagnostic approaches may be costly for the consumer and delay appropriate therapy.

NaI(Tl) scintillator detectors stripping procedure for air kerma measurements of diagnostic X-ray beams

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, L. S. R.; Conti, C. C.; Amorim, A. S.; Balthar, M. C. V.

2013-03-01

Air kerma is an essential quantity for the calibration of national standards used in diagnostic radiology and the measurement of operating parameters used in radiation protection. Its measurement within the appropriate limits of accuracy, uncertainty and reproducibility is important for the characterization and control of the radiation field for the dosimetry of the patients submitted to diagnostic radiology and, also, for the assessment of the system which produces radiological images. Only the incident beam must be considered for the calculation of the air kerma. Therefore, for energy spectrum, counts apart the total energy deposition in the detector must be subtracted. It is necessary to establish a procedure to sort out the different contributions to the original spectrum and remove the counts representing scattered photons in the detector's materials, partial energy deposition due to the interactions in the detector active volume and, also, the escape peaks contributions. The main goal of this work is to present spectrum stripping procedure, using the MCNP Monte Carlo computer code, for NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors to calculate the air kerma due to an X-ray beam usually used in medical radiology. The comparison between the spectrum before stripping procedure against the reference value showed a discrepancy of more than 63%, while the comparison with the same spectrum after the stripping procedure showed a discrepancy of less than 0.2%.

NaI(Tl) scintillator detectors stripping procedure for air kerma measurements of diagnostic X-ray beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, L.S.R. [Centro Tecnológico do Exército, CTEx (Brazilian Army Technological Center), Av. das Américas n° 28705, 23085-470 Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Instituto de Radioprotecão e Dosimetria, CNEN/IRD (Institute for Radioprotection and Dosimetry, CNEN/IRD), Av. Salvador Allende s/no, P.O. Box 37750, 22783-127 Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Conti, C.C., E-mail: ccconti@ird.gov.br [Instituto de Radioprotecão e Dosimetria, CNEN/IRD (Institute for Radioprotection and Dosimetry, CNEN/IRD), Av. Salvador Allende s/no, P.O. Box 37750, 22783-127 Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Amorim, A.S.; Balthar, M.C.V. [Centro Tecnológico do Exército, CTEx (Brazilian Army Technological Center), Av. das Américas n° 28705, 23085-470 Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2013-03-21

Air kerma is an essential quantity for the calibration of national standards used in diagnostic radiology and the measurement of operating parameters used in radiation protection. Its measurement within the appropriate limits of accuracy, uncertainty and reproducibility is important for the characterization and control of the radiation field for the dosimetry of the patients submitted to diagnostic radiology and, also, for the assessment of the system which produces radiological images. Only the incident beam must be considered for the calculation of the air kerma. Therefore, for energy spectrum, counts apart the total energy deposition in the detector must be subtracted. It is necessary to establish a procedure to sort out the different contributions to the original spectrum and remove the counts representing scattered photons in the detector’s materials, partial energy deposition due to the interactions in the detector active volume and, also, the escape peaks contributions. The main goal of this work is to present spectrum stripping procedure, using the MCNP Monte Carlo computer code, for NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors to calculate the air kerma due to an X-ray beam usually used in medical radiology. The comparison between the spectrum before stripping procedure against the reference value showed a discrepancy of more than 63%, while the comparison with the same spectrum after the stripping procedure showed a discrepancy of less than 0.2%.

Quality control procedures of dental diagnostic radiology systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade, Paula Serra Sasaki

2007-01-01

This work presents quality control reference procedures for dental diagnostic radiology systems, following the recommendations of the Publication 453 of the Brazilian Health Ministry (PF453), to be applied in dental clinics, in order to achieve an improvement in the radiological image qualities and the patient dose reduction. All tests were applied in an intraoral X rays system, following the methodology developed and the requirements of the PF 453. In order to verify the best quality of the image in relation to the smaller exposition time an object test was also developed in this work. The use of this object allowed the reduction of the exposition time of 0.5 seconds, the maximum value of the linear region of the characteristic curve, for 0.2 seconds. The tested X rays system showed a very good agreement with the applied procedures, detaching the reduction of the skin entrance dose using the film-holding devices. However, the size of the field increased and exceeded the maximum value of 6 cm recommended in the standard. The importance of the quality control in dental diagnostic radiology systems is essential due to the constant use of X radiation in dental clinics. The PF453 recommends the frequency of at least two years for the constancy tests. However, it is suggested that the professional, surgeon-dentist, should be responsible for the internal control of the image quality obtained from the X rays device. This can be done through monthly exposures of the object test developed in this work. (author)

The radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures and the problem of radiation protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ftacnikova, S [Inst. of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, 83301 Bratislava (Slovakia)

1996-12-31

In this paper equivalent dose from Auger electron emitters was reevaluated. The presented approach represents a practical step toward the estimation of equivalent dose for incorporated Auger electron emitters, an aspects that has not been given adequate consideration so far. Given the widespread use of this class of radionuclides in nuclear medicine and in biomedical research, the formalism and practical calculation presented here may be of value to assessing the risk associated with this radionuclides (in diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures), as well as predicting their therapeutic efficiency. (J.K.) 2 tabs., 11 refs.

Towards Verification of Operational Procedures Using Auto-Generated Diagnostic Trees

Science.gov (United States)

Kurtoglu, Tolga; Lutz, Robyn; Patterson-Hine, Ann

2009-01-01

The design, development, and operation of complex space, lunar and planetary exploration systems require the development of general procedures that describe a detailed set of instructions capturing how mission tasks are performed. For both crewed and uncrewed NASA systems, mission safety and the accomplishment of the scientific mission objectives are highly dependent on the correctness of procedures. In this paper, we describe how to use the auto-generated diagnostic trees from existing diagnostic models to improve the verification of standard operating procedures. Specifically, we introduce a systematic method, namely the Diagnostic Tree for Verification (DTV), developed with the goal of leveraging the information contained within auto-generated diagnostic trees in order to check the correctness of procedures, to streamline the procedures in terms of reducing the number of steps or use of resources in them, and to propose alternative procedural steps adaptive to changing operational conditions. The application of the DTV method to a spacecraft electrical power system shows the feasibility of the approach and its range of capabilities

Patient dose assessment in different diagnostic procedures in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sena, E. de; Bejar, M.J.; Berenguer, R.; Ruano, R.; Tamayo, P.

2001-01-01

Effective doses have been estimated for 314 patients under diagnostic procedures in a Nuclear Medicine Department using data reported in ICRP-80 and RIDIC (Radiation Internal Dose Information Center). Data on administered activity, radiopharmaceutical and administration route, age and sex of the patients have been collected. Doses in the most exposed critical organ for every protocol, doses in uterus, doses in fetus versus the stage of pregnancy (in case the female patient was pregnant) and doses for nursing infants have been also estimated. Ga-67 studies give the highest effective doses per protocol followed by cardiac SPECT procedures using Tl-201 chloride. Ga-67 studies also give the highest absorbed doses in uterus. Due to not administering different activities, depending on height and weight of adults, women receive doses about 20% higher than men. This would be a practice to modify in the future in order to optimise doses. (author)

Patient dose assessment in different diagnostic procedures in nuclear medicine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sena, E de; Bejar, M J; Berenguer, R [Servicio de Radiofisica y Proteccion Radiologica, Salamanca (Spain); Ruano, R; Tamayo, P [Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca (Spain)

2001-03-01

Effective doses have been estimated for 314 patients under diagnostic procedures in a Nuclear Medicine Department using data reported in ICRP-80 and RIDIC (Radiation Internal Dose Information Center). Data on administered activity, radiopharmaceutical and administration route, age and sex of the patients have been collected. Doses in the most exposed critical organ for every protocol, doses in uterus, doses in fetus versus the stage of pregnancy (in case the female patient was pregnant) and doses for nursing infants have been also estimated. Ga-67 studies give the highest effective doses per protocol followed by cardiac SPECT procedures using Tl-201 chloride. Ga-67 studies also give the highest absorbed doses in uterus. Due to not administering different activities, depending on height and weight of adults, women receive doses about 20% higher than men. This would be a practice to modify in the future in order to optimise doses. (author)

Development of ITER diagnostics: Neutronic analysis and radiation hardness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vukolov, Konstantin, E-mail: vukolov_KY@nrcki.ru; Borisov, Andrey; Deryabina, Natalya; Orlovskiy, Ilya

2015-10-15

Highlights: • Problems of ITER diagnostics caused by neutron radiation from hot DT plasma considered. • Careful neutronic analysis is necessary for ITER diagnostics development. • Effective nuclear shielding for ITER diagnostics in the 11th equatorial port plug proposed. • Requirements for study of radiation hardness of diagnostic elements defined. • Results of optical glasses irradiation tests in a fission reactor given. - Abstract: The paper is dedicated to the problems of ITER diagnostics caused by effects of radiation from hot DT plasma. An effective nuclear shielding must be arranged in diagnostic port plugs to meet the nuclear safety requirements and to provide reliable operation of the diagnostics. This task can be solved with the help of neutronic analysis of the diagnostics environment within the port plugs at the design stage. Problems of neutronic calculations are demonstrated for the 11th equatorial port plug. The numerical simulation includes the calculations of neutron fluxes in the port-plug and in the interspace. Options for nuclear shielding, such as tungsten collimator, boron carbide and water moderators, stainless steel and lead screens are considered. Data on neutron fluxes along diagnostic labyrinths allow to define radiation hardness requirements for the diagnostic components and to specify their materials. Options for windows and lenses materials for optical diagnostics are described. The results of irradiation of flint and silica glasses in nuclear reactor have shown that silica KU-1 and KS-4V retain transparency in visible range after neutron fluence of 10{sup 17} cm{sup −2}. Flints required for achromatic objectives have much less radiation hardness about 5 × 10{sup 14} n/cm{sup 2}.

Occupational radiation doses among diagnostic radiation workers in South Korea, 1996-2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, W. J.; Cha, E. S.; Ha, M.; Jin, Y. W.; Hwang, S. S.; Kong, K. A.; Lee, S. W.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, K. Y.; Kim, H. J.

2009-01-01

This study details the distribution and trends of doses of occupational radiation among diagnostic radiation workers by using the national dose registry between 1996 and 2006 by the Korea Food and Drug Administration. Dose measurements were collected quarterly by the use of thermoluminescent dosemeter personal monitors. A total of 61 732 workers were monitored, including 18 376 radiologic technologists (30%), 13 762 physicians (22%), 9858 dentists (16%) and 6114 dental hygienists (9.9%). The average annual effective doses of all monitored workers decreased from 1.75 to 0.80 mSv over the study period. Among all diagnostic radiation workers, radiologic technologists received both the highest effective and collective doses. Male radiologic technologists aged 30-49 y composed the majority of workers receiving more than 5 mSv in a quarter. More intensive monitoring of occupational radiation exposure and investigation into its health effects on diagnostic radiation workers are required in South Korea. (authors)

Patient radiation doses in the most common interventional cardiology procedures in croatia: First results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brnic, Z.; Krpan, T.; Faj, D.; Kubelka, D.; Ramac, J. P.; Posedel, D.; Steiner, R.; Vidjak, V.; Brnic, V.; Viskovic, K.; Baraban, V.

2010-01-01

Apart from its benefits, the interventional cardiology (IC) is known to generate high radiation doses to patients and medical staff involved. The European Union Medical Exposures Directive 97/43/EURATOM strongly recommend patient dosimetry in interventional radiology, including IC. IC patient radiation doses in four representative IC rooms in Croatia were investigated. Setting reference levels for these procedures have difficulties due to the large difference in procedure complexity. Nevertheless, it is important that some guideline values are available as a benchmark to guide the operators during these potentially high-dose procedures. Local and national diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) were proposed as a guidance. A total of 138 diagnostic (coronary angiography, CA) and 151 therapeutic (PTCA, stenting) procedures were included. Patient irradiation was measured in terms of kerma-area product (KAP), fluoroscopy time (FT) and number of cine-frames (F). KAP was recorded using calibrated KAP-meters. DRLs of KAP, FT and F were calculated as third quartile values rounded up to the integer. Skin doses were assessed on a selected sample of high skin dose procedures, using radiochromic films, and peak skin doses (PSD) were presented. A relative large range of doses in IC was detected. National DRLs were proposed as follows: 32 Gy cm 2 , 6.6 min and 610 frames for CA and 72 Gy cm 2 , 19 min and 1270 frames for PTCA. PSD 2 Gy in 8% of selected patients. Measuring the patient doses in radiological procedures is required by law, but rarely implemented in Croatia. The doses recorded in the study are acceptable when compared with the literature, but optimisation is possible. The preliminary DRL values proposed may be used as a guideline for local departments, and should be a basis for radiation reduction measures and quality assurance programmes in IC in Croatia. (authors)

Comparative cost analysis -- computed tomography vs. alternative diagnostic procedures, 1977-1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gempel, P.A.; Harris, G.H.; Evans, R.G.

1977-12-01

In comparing the total national cost of utilizing computed tomography (CT) for medically indicated diagnoses with that of conventional x-ray, ultrasonography, nuclear medicine, and exploratory surgery, this investigation concludes that there was little, if any, added net cost from CT use in 1977 or will there be in 1980. Computed tomography, generally recognized as a reliable and useful diagnostic modality, has the potential to reduce net costs provided that an optimal number of units can be made available to physicians and patients to achieve projected reductions in alternative procedures. This study examines the actual cost impact of CT on both cranial and body diagnostic procedures. For abdominal and mediastinal disorders, CT scanning is just beginning to emerge as a diagnostic modality. As such, clinical experience is somewhat limited and the authors assume that no significant reduction in conventional procedures took place in 1977. It is estimated that the approximately 375,000 CT body procedures performed in 1977 represent only a 5 percent cost increase over use of other diagnostic modalities. It is projected that 2,400,000 CT body procedures will be performed in 1980 and, depending on assumptions used, total body diagnostic costs will increase only slightly or be reduced. Thirty-one tables appear throughout the text presenting cost data broken down by types of diagnostic procedures used and projections by years. Appendixes present technical cost components for diagnostic procedures, the comparative efficacy of CT as revealed in abstracts of published literature, selected medical diagnoses, and references

Children's exposure to ionizing radiations linked with diagnostic procedures in 2010 in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to characterize the medical exposure of the French pediatric population to ionizing radiations (IR) in 2010. It only includes diagnostic procedures. Data are mainly provided by the French Health Insurance (CNAM-TS), through a representative sample of about 1% of the French population (the so-called 'EGB' sample). In 2010, more than 100,000 children from 0 to 15 years old were included in this sample. About 600 examinations per 1000 children were performed: 55% are radiological examinations and 42% dental. CT examinations are rather rare (about 2%). Nuclear medicine and interventional radiology represent less than 1% of the examinations. Children from 10 to 15 years old and babies from new born to 1 year old are the most examined. Exposure of girls and boys are rather similar. From 10 to 15 years old, dental and limbs examinations are the most frequent. Chest and pelvic examinations are the most frequent examinations performed on babies. CT pediatric examinations concern mainly the head and the neck. In 2010, a third of the French children has been exposed to at least one examination using IR. The mean and median effective doses were respectively equal to 0.65 mSv and 0.025 mSv. These values were respectively 5.7 mSv and 1.7 mSv for the children exposed to at least one CT examination (about 1% of the studied population). This study brings reference data on pediatric exposure to IR, and makes them available for public health and epidemiological purposes. This analysis should be periodically carried out to assess the evolution of the pediatric exposure. (authors)

Evaluation of radiation dose to pediatric patients during certain special procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sulieman, A.; Alzimami, K.; Elhag, B.; Babikir, E.; Alsafi, K.

2014-01-01

This study was intended to measure pediatric entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) and effective dose during micturating cystourethrography (MCU), intravenous urography (IVU) and barium studies (barium meal, enema, and swallow) and to propose a local diagnostic reference level (DRL). ESAK was measured for patients using calibrated thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs, GR200A). Effective doses (E) were calculated using the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) software. A total of 236 special pediatric procedures were investigated. 21.7% of the sample comprised barium procedures, 18.6% were MCU procedures while 59.5% of the sample were IVU procedures. The mean ESAK measurements (mGy) were 2.1±0.8, 3.0±23 and 1.2±0.2 for barium meal, enema and swallow in the same order. The mean patient dose for IVU procedures was 12.4±8.7 mGy per procedure and the mean patient dose per MCU procedure was 5.8±7 mGy. Local DRLs were proposed for all procedures. The patient doses in this study are within the reported values, suggesting that pediatric patients are adequately protected. - Highlights: • Pediatric radiation dose has been evaluated for three of the most common fluoroscopic procedures. • Radiation doses were measured using calibrated TLD GR200A. • Pediatric patients of concern and ESAK doses showed large variations. • The patient doses in this study are within the reported studies suggesting that the pediatric patients are adequately protected

Fast infrared detectors for beam diagnostics with synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bocci, A.; Marcelli, A.; Pace, E.; Drago, A.; Piccinini, M.; Cestelli Guidi, M.; De Sio, A.; Sali, D.; Morini, P.; Piotrowski, J.

2007-01-01

Beam diagnostic is a fundamental constituent of any particle accelerators either dedicated to high-energy physics or to synchrotron radiation experiments. All storage rings emit radiations. Actually they are high brilliant sources of radiation: the synchrotron radiation emission covers from the infrared range to the X-ray domain with a pulsed structure depending on the temporal characteristics of the stored beam. The time structure of the emitted radiation is extremely useful as a tool to perform time-resolved experiments. However, this radiation can be also used for beam diagnostic to determine the beam stability and to measure the dimensions of the e - or e + beam. Because of the temporal structure of the synchrotron radiation to perform diagnostic, we need very fast detectors. Indeed, the detectors required for the diagnostics of the stored particle bunches at third generation synchrotron radiation sources and FEL need response times in the sub-ns and even ps range. To resolve the bunch length and detect bunch instabilities, X-ray and visible photon detectors may be used achieving response times of a few picoseconds. Recently, photon uncooled infrared devices optimized for the mid-IR range realized with HgCdTe semiconductors allowed to obtain sub-nanosecond response times. These devices can be used for fast detection of intense IRSR sources and for beam diagnostic. We present here preliminary experimental data of the pulsed synchrotron radiation emission of DAΦNE, the electron positron collider of the LNF laboratory of the INFN, performed with new uncooled IR detectors with a time resolution of a few hundreds of picoseconds

MR diagnostics after Ross procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steffens, J.C.; Link, J.; Harringer, W.; Haverich, A.; Heller, M.

1996-01-01

Purpose: To determine the ability of MRI to diagnose morphological and functional changes in patients after Ross procedure. Material and methods: During one year, 5 patients after Ross procedure were studied by MRI. T 1 -weighted spin-echo sequences in different orientations as well as cine sequences and a VENC-sequence were used. Results: In all patients the morphology including the postoperative changes could be visualised by MRI. The cine sequences provided functional information on valvular and ventricular function. VENC-MR yielded an exact quantification of the regurgitant fraction. Conclusion: MRI is capable of providing all important diagnostic information in patients after Ross procedure such as valvular and ventricular function and valvular and outflow tract morphology in a single examination. (orig.) [de

Radiation hardening of diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siemon, R.E.

1991-01-01

The world fusion program has advanced to the stage where it is appropriate to construct a number of devices for the purpose of burning DT fuel. In these next-generation experiments, the expected flux and fluence of 14 MeV neutrons and associated gamma rays will pose a significant challenge to the operation and diagnostics of the fusion device. Radiation effects include structural damage to materials such as vacuum windows and seals, modifications to electrical properties such as electrical conductivity and dielectric strength and impaired optical properties such as reduced transparency and luminescence of windows and fiber optics during irradiation. In preparation for construction and operation of these new facilities, the fusion diagnostics community needs to work with materials scientists to develop a better understanding of radiation effects, and to undertake a testing program aimed at developing workable solutions for this multi-faceted problem. A unique facility to help in this regard is the Los Alamos Spallation Radiation Effects Facility, a neutron source located at the beam stop of the world's most powerful accelerator, the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF). The LAMPF proton beam generates 10 16 neutrons per second because of ''spallation'' reactions when the protons collide with the copper nuclei in the beam stop

Effective doses and standardised risk factors from paediatric diagnostic medical radiation exposures: Information for radiation risk communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bibbo, Giovanni

2018-01-01

In the paediatric medical radiation setting, there is no consistency on the radiation risk information conveyed to the consumer (patient/carer). Each communicator may convey different information about the level of risk for the same radiation procedure, leaving the consumer confused and frustrated. There is a need to standardise risks resulting from medical radiation exposures. In this study, paediatric radiographic, fluoroscopic, CT and nuclear medicine examination data have been analysed to provide (i) effective doses and radiation induced cancer risk factors from common radiological and nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures in standardised formats, (II) awareness of the difficulties that may be encountered in communicating risks to the layperson, and (iii) an overview of the deleterious effects of ionising radiation so that the risk communicator can convey with confidence the risks resulting from medical radiation exposures. Paediatric patient dose data from general radiographic, computed tomography, fluoroscopic and nuclear medicine databases have been analysed in age groups 0 to <5 years, 5 to <10 years, 10 to <15 years and 15 to <18 years to determine standardised risk factors. Mean, minimum and maximum effective doses and the corresponding mean lifetime risks for general radiographic, fluoroscopic, CT and nuclear medicine examinations for different age groups have been calculated. For all examinations, the mean lifetime cancer induction risk is provided in three formats: statistical, fraction and category. Standardised risk factors for different radiological and nuclear medicine examinations and an overview of the deleterious effects of ionising radiation and the difficulties encountered in communicating the risks should facilitate risk communication to the patient/carer.

Radiation risk to patients from nuclear medicine procedures in Cuba

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brigido, O.; Montalván, A.; Barreras, A.; Hernández, J.

2015-01-01

Man-made radiation exposure to the Cuban population predominantly results from the medical use of ionizing radiation. It was therefore the aim of the present study, to provide public health information concerning diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures carried out in Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila provinces between 2000 and 2005. Population radiation dose estimation due to administration of radiopharmaceuticals in Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila provinces was carried out using Medical Internal Radiation Dose scheme (MIRD). Data were gathered on the type of radiopharmaceuticals used, the administered activity, the numbers of each kind of examination, and the age and sex of the patients involved during the period 2000 – 2005. The average annual frequency of examinations was estimated to be 3.34 per 1000 population. The results show that imaging nuclear medicine techniques of thyroid and bone explorations with 13.3 and 12.9%, respectively and iodide uptake with 50% are the main techniques implicated in the relative contribution to the total annual effective collective dose which averaged 95 man⋅Sv for the studied period. Radiation risks for the Camagüey-Ciego de Avila population caused by nuclear medicine examinations in the period studied were calculated: the total number of fatal and non-fatal cancers was 34.2 and the number of serious hereditary disturbance was 7.4 as a result of 24139 nuclear medicine procedures, corresponding a total detriment of 1.72 per 1000 examination. (authors)

Sphincter-saving procedure for radiation-injuried rectum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriya, Yoshihiro; Koyama, Yasuo; Hojo, Keiichi

1982-01-01

Up to this time the sigmoid colostomy has been widely accepted and conventional treatment for radiation-injured rectum, but patients without residual malignancy strongly desire to live without colostomy. We have tried to remove the involved rectal segments by sphincter-saving procedures. Four patients underwent these procedures, pull-through procedure in three and low anterior resection in one. Among sphincter-saving procedures, pull-through procedure was most adequate. Provided the following five conditions are fulfilled, pull-through procedure should be considered for severe radiation-injured rectum. (1) No recurrence of initial malignancy in the pelvis. (2) More than 2 cm intact rectal segment above dentate line may be preserved. (3) No radiation-injured segment in upper sigmoid. (4) No severe radiation damage in small intestine. (5) Patients under 70 year-old, with normal tonus of anal sphincter. (author)

Quality guarantee of images as a way for obtained lower levels of radiation doses in diagnostic x-ray rooms: criteria for licensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castellanos, C.A.

1996-01-01

This work constitutes a criticism to the present system for licensing in diagnostic x-ray installations in Guatemala. A series of recommendations are made with the aim of obtaining the best diagnostic imaging. This procedure leads to obtain lower doses of radiation for patients and workers

Radiation doses in diagnostic radiology and methods for dose reduction. Report of a co-ordinated research programme (1991-1993)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-04-01

It is well recognized that diagnostic radiology is the largest contributor to the collective dose from all man-made sources of radiation. Large differences in radiation doses from the same procedures among different X ray rooms have led to the conclusion that there is a potential for dose reduction. A Co-ordinated Research Programme on Radiation Doses in Diagnostic Radiology and Methods for Dose Reduction, involving Member States with different degrees of development, was launched by the IAEA in co-operation with the CEC. This report summarizes the results of the second and final Research Co-ordination Meeting held in Vienna from 4 to 8 October 1993. 22 refs, 6 figs and tabs.

Radiation doses in diagnostic radiology and methods for dose reduction. Report of a co-ordinated research programme (1991-1993)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-04-01

It is well recognized that diagnostic radiology is the largest contributor to the collective dose from all man-made sources of radiation. Large differences in radiation doses from the same procedures among different X ray rooms have led to the conclusion that there is a potential for dose reduction. A Co-ordinated Research Programme on Radiation Doses in Diagnostic Radiology and Methods for Dose Reduction, involving Member States with different degrees of development, was launched by the IAEA in co-operation with the CEC. This report summarizes the results of the second and final Research Co-ordination Meeting held in Vienna from 4 to 8 October 1993. 22 refs, 6 figs and tabs

Health Risks of Diagnostic Radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Oraby, M.N.A.

2014-01-01

Exposure to ionizing radiation during diagnostic radiologic procedures carries small but real risks. Children, young adults and pregnant women are especially vulnerable. Exposure of patients to diagnostic energy levels of ionizing radiation should be kept to the minimum necessary to provide useful clinical information and allay patients concerns about radiation-related risks. Computerized Tomography (CT) accounts for two thirds of the cumulative patient dose from diagnostic radiological procedures and the cumulative dose from CT is rising as technological advances increase the number of indications and the capabilities of CT. Carcinogenesis and teratogenesis are the main concerns with ionizing radiation. The risk increases as the radiation dose increases. There is no minimum threshold and the risk is cumulative: a dose of 1 mSv once a year for 10 years is equivalent to a single dose of 10 mSv. Whenever practical, choose an imaging test that uses less radiation or no radiation and lengthen the periods between follow-up imaging tests. Some patients may avoid screening mammography because of fear of radiation-induced cancer, yet this test uses a very small radiation dose (0.6 mSv, much less than the annual dose from background radiation, 3.6 mSv). (author)

Diagnostic and therapeutic radiation exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Russell, W J [Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima (Japan)

1975-09-01

Diagnostic and therapeutic radiology were studied as possible contaminants in the evaluations of A-bomb survivors in the ABCC-JNIH Adult Health Study for radiation effects. Hiroshima and Nagasaki subjects received X-ray examinations elsewhere within three months of their ABCC visits at rates of 23 and 12%, respectively. Medical X-ray examinations were more frequent among survivors than comparison subjects. Hiroshima and Nagasaki radiologic practice steadily increased since 1948, and differed markedly by city. From 1946-70 the Hiroshima and Nagasaki X-ray bone marrow doses were 2,300 and 1,000 g-rads, respectively. By 1970, cumulated medical X-ray doses approximated A-bomb doses at distances from the hypocenters of 2,000 m in Hiroshima and 2,800 m in Nagasaki. ABCC X-ray examination doses per subject are routinely updated for comparison with A-bomb doses. Each subject's reported fluoroscopy, photofluorography and radiation therapy exposure elsewhere are for future reference. Dental radiography, though increasing, was not currently an important contributor to survivors' overall exposure. Radiation therapy exposures of 137 subjects were confirmed, and doses estimated for most. Two-thirds the treatments were for malignancies; therapy differed markedly by city; and five cancers possibly arose from earlier radiation therapy. This underscores the importance of considering diagnostic and therapeutic radiology when attributing diseases to the atomic bombs.

Activities of radiopharmaceuticals administered for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in nuclear medicine in Argentina: results of a national survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bomben, Ana M.; Chiliutti, Claudia A.

2004-01-01

Nuclear medicine in Argentine is carried out at 292 centres, distributed all over the country, mainly concentrated in the capital cities of the provinces. With the purpose of knowing the activity levels of radiopharmaceuticals that were administered to patients for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in nuclear medicine, a national survey was conducted, during 2001 and 2002. This survey was answered voluntarily by 107 centres. Sixty-four percent of the participants centres are equipped with SPECT system while the other centres have a gamma camera or scintiscanner. There were 37 nuclear medicine procedures, chosen among those most frequently performed, were included in the survey. In those diagnostic procedures were included tests for: bone, brain, thyroid, kidney, liver, lung and cardiovascular system; and also activities administered for some therapeutic procedures. The nuclear medicine physicians reported the different radiopharmaceutical activities administered to typical adult patients. In this paper are presented the average radiopharmaceutical activity administered for each of the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures included in the survey and the range and distribution of values. In order to place these data in a frame of reference, these average values were compared to the guidance levels for diagnostic procedures in nuclear medicine mentioned at the Safety Series no. 115. From this comparison it was noticed that the activities administered in the 40% of the diagnostic procedures included in the survey were between ±30% of the reference values. For those nuclear medicine procedures that could not be compared with the above mentioned guidance levels, the comparison was made with values published by UNSCEAR or standards recommended by international bodies. As a result of this study, it is important to point out the need to continue the gathering of data in a wider scale survey to increase the knowledge about national trends. It is also essential to widely

Changes in the 'medical research' licensing procedure under the German Radiation Protection Ordinance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habeck, M.; Minkov, V.; Griebel, J.; Brix, G.; Epsch, R.; Langer, M.

2012-01-01

This publication outlines the 'medical research' licensing procedure as specified in the amendment of the German Radiation Protection Ordinance of November 1, 2011. The general licensing requirements for the use of radiation have not been changed by the amendment. Three so-called use restrictions (i.e., dose limits of 10 mSv and 20 mSv, age limit of 50 years) have been modified. They will only apply to healthy volunteers in the future. In addition, there are considerable simplifications with respect to applications and licensing procedures of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, BfS) regarding the use of radiation in the newly introduced 'accompanying diagnostics' ('Begleitdiagnostik') case group. The newly established, independent panel of experts at the German Radiological Society (Deutsche Roentgengesellschaft, DRG) may provide essential support to principal investigators, qualified physicians and sponsors for differentiating between 'medical research' and 'health care', the latter not being subject to licensing. An expert statement will be issued by the DRG within four weeks of an inquiry. This consulting service is subject to confidentiality, and is free of charge for inquirers and without any commitment. (orig.)

Diagnostical Procedure for Logistical Management in Turistical Entities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Libia Arlen Fergusson-Álvarez

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This research aims to design a diagnostic procedure of the logistics management for turistical entities, they could be hotels or not. This procedure was validated in Commercial Branch Caracol Santiago de Cuba and finally, different actions for the detected problems were proposed with the objective of improving the logistics management of the organization. To develop this research various tools and techniques served as support, such as: surveys, SPSS software (Statistical Package for Social Sciences 15.0 version and Decision 1.0 version, exponential smoothing, Cronbach's Alpha, the coefficient of Kendall W, financial and logistical indicators, the ABC or Pareto Method, the matrices for the classification of stocks and suppliers, among others. This research made possible the design of a diagnostic procedure for logistical management for turistical entities. And it was validated in the Comercial Branch Caracol Santiago, which allowed the proposition of improvement actions for increasing customer satisfaction.

Calibration methodology for instruments utilized in X radiation beams, diagnostic level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penha, M. da; Potiens, A.; Caldas, L.V.E.

2004-01-01

Methodologies for the calibration of diagnostic radiology instruments were established at the Calibration Laboratory of IPEN. The methods may be used in the calibration procedures of survey meters used in radiation protection measurements (scattered radiation), instruments used in direct beams (attenuated and non attenuated beams) and quality control instruments. The established qualities are recommended by the international standards IEC 1267 and ISO 4037-3. Two ionization chambers were used as reference systems, one with a volume of 30 cm 3 for radiation protection measurements, and the other with a volume of 1 cm 3 for direct beam measurements. Both are traceable to the German Primary Laboratory of Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). In the case of calibration of quality control instruments, a non-invasive method using the measurement of the spectrum endpoint was established with a portable gamma and X-ray Intertechnique spectrometer system. The methods were applied to survey meters (radiation protection measurements), ionization chambers (direct beam measurements) and k Vp meters (invasive and non-invasive instruments). (Author)

Calibration methodology for instruments utilized in X radiation beams, diagnostic level

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Penha, M. da; Potiens, A.; Caldas, L.V.E. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares, Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear, Sao Paulo (Brazil)]. E-mail: mppalbu@ipen.br

2004-07-01

Methodologies for the calibration of diagnostic radiology instruments were established at the Calibration Laboratory of IPEN. The methods may be used in the calibration procedures of survey meters used in radiation protection measurements (scattered radiation), instruments used in direct beams (attenuated and non attenuated beams) and quality control instruments. The established qualities are recommended by the international standards IEC 1267 and ISO 4037-3. Two ionization chambers were used as reference systems, one with a volume of 30 cm{sup 3} for radiation protection measurements, and the other with a volume of 1 cm{sup 3} for direct beam measurements. Both are traceable to the German Primary Laboratory of Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). In the case of calibration of quality control instruments, a non-invasive method using the measurement of the spectrum endpoint was established with a portable gamma and X-ray Intertechnique spectrometer system. The methods were applied to survey meters (radiation protection measurements), ionization chambers (direct beam measurements) and k Vp meters (invasive and non-invasive instruments). (Author)

Radiation damage in diagnostic windows for the TFTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Primak, W.

1979-01-01

Radiation effects in diagnostic window materials are being estimated and additional experimental data on the radiation behavior are being sought. The materials considered thus far are vitreous silica, crystal quartz, and synthetic sapphire

Metrology of radiation doses in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leclet, H.

2016-01-01

This article recalls how to calculate effective and equivalent doses in radiology from the measured value of the absorbed dose. The 97/43 EURATOM directive defines irradiation standards for diagnostic radiology (NRD) as the value of the radiation dose received by the patient's skin when the diagnostic exam is performed. NRD values are standard values that can be exceeded only with right medical or technical reasons, they are neither limit values nor optimized values. The purpose of NRD values is to avoid the over-irradiation of patients and to homogenize radiologists' practices. French laws impose how and when radiologists have to calculate the radiation dose received by the patient's skin. The calculated values have to be compared with NRD values and any difference has to be justified. A table gives NRD values for all diagnostic exams. (A.C.)

Coherent Smith-Purcell radiation as a pulse length diagnostic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lampel, M.C.

1997-01-01

Recently, Smith-Purcell radiation has been studied as a candidate for laser-type radiation production in the submillimeter regime. With appropriate choices of beam energy, impact parameter, and grating spacing, there is good coupling to strongly polarized, forward directed radiation. Another regime of possible interest is to use Smith-Purcell radiation as a pulse length diagnostic for medium to high energy electron beams of extremely short pulse duration, on the order of tens of femtoseconds to 1000 fs. Strongly in favor of development of such a diagnostic is its relatively non-destructive nature. With the electron beam passing near, but not through, a metal grating, reaction of the beam distribution itself to the production of the radiation is reduced relative to the much stronger scattering induced by passage through a foil. By careful choice of parameters usable diagnostic radiation ought to be produced with acceptably small emittance growth for an on-line beam monitor, even for the extremely bright electron beams proposed for X-ray FELs, Compton backscatter X-ray sources, or laser/plasma accelerator schemes. In this paper coherent and incoherent Smith-Purcell radiation is examined for reasonable operating parameters of the SATURNUS system at UCLA, with comparisons with results reported from the accelerator test facility (ATF) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. (orig.)

9 CFR 147.8 - Procedures for preparing egg yolk samples for diagnostic tests.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... samples for diagnostic tests. 147.8 Section 147.8 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH... IMPROVEMENT PLAN Blood Testing Procedures § 147.8 Procedures for preparing egg yolk samples for diagnostic... for diagnostic testing. (b) The authorized laboratory must identify each egg as to the breeding flock...

A review of current radiation protection in radiological diagnostics in Montenegro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mijovic, Slavoljub; Kovacevic, Zarko; Vuceljic, Mira; Scepanovic, Mara; Picuric, Ivana; Mardjokic, Aleksandar

2008-01-01

After getting independence 2006 year and became 192nd member of UN, Montenegro state is conducting measures for radiation protection autonomously. Because of complexity of such issues, Montenegro faced a lot of problems: lack of a national legal system in this field, expertise, appropriate equipments etc. Some estimates have shown that the major exposures of populations in Montenegro to ionizing radiation are due to the medical care. The purpose of this work is to analyze current protection in radiological diagnostics in Montenegro and compare it with international standards. It could be clearly stated where they are in agreement or disagreement. The method of analyzing is a holistic one, starting from the law, regulations and decisions through the protocols of quality controls and finishing with the reports and database of important parameters and data. The main findings are stated as follows: although the current radiation protection in radiological diagnostics is conducting according the law of former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and its regulations and decisions, the overall legal system is still satisfactory; Identification and location of radiation sources through a system of notification and maintaining a national inventory is not satisfactory; There are a lack of expertise and equipments for the technical services, although the procedures and protocols of the quality control are at a satisfactory level; There is a lack of knowledge of professional staff working in this field. The practice is sometimes operated carelessly; The patients protection is satisfactory but there is not care to decrease a level of exposure according the ALARA principle. (author)

Nordic working group for medical x-ray diagnostics: Diagnostic reference levels within xray diagnostics - experiences in the Nordic countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leitz, W.; Groen, P.; Servomaa, A.; Einarsson, G.; Olerud, H.

2003-01-01

Medical x-ray diagnostics is one of the few applications of ionising radiation where people are irradiated on purpose. The strategy for radiation protection is also different compared to that in other areas that have the zero-alternative as its ultimate goal, meaning that no human beings at all are exposed in these practices. The focus in x-ray diagnostics concerning radiation protection is justification and optimisation. Optimisation implies that the examination is performed in such a way that the radiation dose is as small as possible without jeopardising the diagnostic security. X- ray diagnostics is a complex method where many technical parameters and methodology factors together are interacting in the determination of radiation dose and image quality. The optimisation process is not a simple and uncomplicated procedure, this difficulty is reflected in many international and national surveys showing a large spread of patient doses for one and the same type of examination. The concept diagnostic reference levels (DRL) has been introduced as a tool for reducing this wide distribution that is obviously indicating a lack of optimisation, and for cutting the highest radiation doses. In this presentation the concept for DRL and the experience gained in the Nordic countries with DRL are described. (orig.)

Radiation exposure of operator during various interventional procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, In Kyu; Chung, Jin Wook; Han, Joon Koo; Park, Jae Hyung; Kang, Wee Saing

1994-01-01

To investigate the levels of radiation exposure of an operator which may be influenced by the wearing an apron, type of procedure, duration of fluoroscopy and operator's skill during various interventional procedures. Radiation doses were measured both inside and outside the apron(0.5 mm lead equivalent) of the operator by a film badge monitoring method and the duration of fluoroscopy was measured in 96 procedures prospectively. The procedures were 30 transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), 25 percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainages (PTBD), 16 stone removals (SR), 15 percutaneous needle aspirations (PNCA) and 10 percutaneous nephrostomies(PCN). To assess the difference of exposure by the operator's skill, the procedures of TAE and PTBD were done separately by groups of staffs and residents. Average protective effect of the apron was 72.8%. Average radiation exposure(unit: μ Sv/procedure was 23.3 in PTBD by residents, 10.0 in PTBD by staffs, 10.0 in SR, 8.7 in TAE by residents, 7.3 in TAE by staffs, 9.0 in PCN and 6.0 in PCNA. Average radiation exposure of residents were 1.9 times greater than those of staffs. Radiation exposure was not proportionally related to the duration of fluoroscopy, but influenced by wearing an apron, various types of procedure and operator's skills

Radiation exposure to staff involved in diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures in some hospitals in Sudan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salih, Lamia Hamza Bashir

2015-05-01

Study was performed to evaluate radiation dose to staff involved in nuclear medicine procedures in some hospitals in Sudan. 15 radiation workers were studied in three hospitals. Radiation dose was measured using personal dose equivalent Hp (10), using calibrated electronic personal dosimeters (EPDs) worn on the chest and read at the end of the day. Staff doses were monitored in each hospital for a period of four weeks, The measured monthly Hp(10) values to staff ranged between 82.96-83.94μSv (to nurses), 38.81-53.97 μSv (to pharmacists), 16.87-70.21μSv (to technologists), 40.22-76.56μSv (to medical physicists). These mean monthly radiation doses were projected to the annual radiation doses received by the staff. The mean monthly radiation doses were projected to the annual radiation doses were found to be between ranges (185.57-923.34μSv/y). Results found showed that there was no dose that exceeded the limits of annual dose recommended for workers by International Commission on Radiology Protection (ICRP) (20 mSv/year). This study is expected to increase the awareness of staff about the radiation hazards and protection.(Author)

Radiation Exposure from Medical Exams and Procedures

Science.gov (United States)

Fact Sheet Adopted: January 2010 Health Physics Society Specialists in Radiation Safety Radiation Exposure from Medical Exams and Procedures Ionizing radiation is used daily in hospitals and clinics ...

Radiation Protection Education in Diagnostic Radiology in Uruguay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotelo, E.; Paolini, G.

2003-01-01

In Uruguay the lack of Radiation Protection (RP) laws makes education in medical use of ionizing radiations at University, a decisive factor of changes. The six years experience in teaching technicians, radiologists, interventional cardiologists and anesthetists in curricular lectures, continuing education courses and workshops, show the importance of a close link between educators and occupationally exposed professionals. Regarding training and education in the optimization of the procedures, it is essential that both teacher and student comprehend the exact meaning of ALARA concept. This implies that although the educator is the one who manages the physical basis of RP, the student is who teaches the educator about the procedures. This turns RP education into a dynamic process in which at the same time, both educator and student learn and teach. After the theoretical lectures, it is essential that students show their ability in applying the acquired knowledge in their everyday practice. Last nut not least, in order to fulfill the first RP principle,all medicine students need to be educated in RP and quality image criteria before the get their medical doctor degree. Our experience shows that RP education in diagnostic radiology requires an expert with both medical physics and Image technology knowledge that allow an approach to students work, language and everyday problems. Despite the fact that the main result of the Education Program is the way professionals improve their practice, another consequence was that the Regulatory Authority of the country called the teacher team to coordinate the first RP national course. (Author) 14 refs

Assessment of radiation protection of patients and staff in interventional procedures in four Algerian hospitals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khelassi-Toutaoui, N.; Toutaoui, A.; Merad, A.; Sakhri-Brahimi, Z.; Baggoura, B.; Mansouri, B.

2016-01-01

This study was aimed to assess patient dosimetry in interventional cardiology (IC) and radiology (IR) and radiation safety of the medical operating staff. For this purpose, four major Algerian hospitals were investigated. The data collected cover radiation protection tools assigned to the operating staff and measured radiation doses to some selected patient populations. The analysis revealed that lead aprons are systematically worn by the staff but not lead eye glasses, and only a single personal monitoring badge is assigned to the operating staff. Measured doses to patients exhibited large variations in the maximum skin dose (MSD) and in the dose area product (DAP). The mean MSD registered values are as follows: 0.20, 0.14 and 1.28 Gy in endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP), coronary angiography (CA) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures, respectively. In PTCA, doses to 3 out of 22 patients (13.6 %) had even reached the threshold value of 2 Gy. The mean DAP recorded values are as follows: 21.6, 60.1 and 126 Gy cm 2 in ERCP, CA and PTCA procedures, respectively. Mean fluoroscopic times are 2.5, 5 and 15 min in ERCP, CA and PTCA procedures, respectively. The correlation between DAP and MSD is fair in CA (r = 0.62) and poor in PTCA (r = 0.28). Fluoroscopic time was moderately correlated with DAP in CA (r = 0.55) and PTCA (r = 0.61) procedures. Local diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) in CA and PTCA procedures have been proposed. In conclusion, this study stresses the need for a continuous patient dose monitoring in interventional procedures with a special emphasis in IC procedures. Common strategies must be undertaken to substantially reduce radiation doses to both patients and medical staff. (authors)

Design And Measurement Of Radiation Exposure Rates At An X-Ray Diagnostic Radiological Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tito-Sutjipto

2003-01-01

Every radiation employees suffers radiation exposure risk while doing his job. It is important therefore to investigate the occupational health and safety of radiation employees on its relationship with the design and measurement of radiation exposure rates at an X-ray diagnostic radiological unit in this work, a case study was held on the radiological unit at BP-4 Yogyakarta for patient diagnostics, This research armed to investigate the relationship between the design of radiological unit for X-ray diagnostics and the location of the X-ray machine, based on the distance variable and radiation exposure rate during patient diagnostics. This was performed using radiological unit design data for X-ray diagnostics and the measurement of radiation exposure rates throughout patient diagnostics. The design data can then be used for determining the requirement of primary and secondary shielding materials for radiological unit as well as a calculation basis of radiation exposure rates during patient diagnostics. From the result of the research, it can be concluded that from the occupational health and safety point of view, radiation exposure around the X-ray machines are fairly good, both for the shielding materials in each X-ray room and the radiation exposures received by the workers, because they are far beyond the maximum permittable average limit (16.67 m R/days). (author)

Transition radiation electron beam diagnostic study at ATF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu, X.Z.; Wang, X.J.; Batchelor, K.; Ben-Zvi, I.

1995-01-01

Recently we have started a program to develop transition radiation based electron beam diagnostics at the Accelerator Test Facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory. In this paper, we will discuss a technique to estimate the lower limit in electron beam divergence measurement with single foil transition radiation and two-foil transition radiation interferometer. Preliminary experimental data from 4.5 MeV electron beam will be presented

Fetal Implications of Diagnostic Radiation Exposure During Pregnancy: Evidence-based Recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Rimawi, Bassam H; Green, Victoria; Lindsay, Michael

2016-06-01

The purpose of this article is to review the fetal and long-term implications of diagnostic radiation exposure during pregnancy. Evidence-based recommendations for radiologic imaging modalities utilizing exposure of diagnostic radiation during pregnancy, including conventional screen-film mammography, digital mammography, tomosynthesis, and contrast-enhanced mammography are described.

Work procedures and risk factors for high rdiation exposure among radiologic technologists in South Korea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jae Young; Choi, Yeong Chull [Dept. of Preventive Medicine, Keimyung University College of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Won Jin; Cha, Eun Shil [Dept. of Preventive Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

Radiologic technologists currently consist of 31.5% among diagnostic radiation workers in South Korea. Among diagnostic radiation workers, radiologic technologists receive the highest annual and collective doses in South Korea. Comprehensive assessment of the work practices and associated radiation doses from diagnostic radiology procedures should be undertaken for effective prevention for radiologic technologists. Using the national survey, this study aimed (1) to explore the distribution of the work procedures performed by gender, (2) to evaluate occupational radiation exposure by work characteristics and safety compliance, (3) to identify the primary factors influencing high radiation exposure among radiologic technologists in South Korea. This study provided detailed information on work practices, number of procedures performed on weekly basis, and occupational radiation doses among radiologic technologists in South Korea. Average radiation dose for radiologic technologists is higher than other countries, and type of facility, work safety, and wearing lead apron explained quite a portion of increased risk in the association between radiology procedures and radiation exposure among radiologic technologists.

Work procedures and risk factors for high rdiation exposure among radiologic technologists in South Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Young; Choi, Yeong Chull; Lee, Won Jin; Cha, Eun Shil

2016-01-01

Radiologic technologists currently consist of 31.5% among diagnostic radiation workers in South Korea. Among diagnostic radiation workers, radiologic technologists receive the highest annual and collective doses in South Korea. Comprehensive assessment of the work practices and associated radiation doses from diagnostic radiology procedures should be undertaken for effective prevention for radiologic technologists. Using the national survey, this study aimed (1) to explore the distribution of the work procedures performed by gender, (2) to evaluate occupational radiation exposure by work characteristics and safety compliance, (3) to identify the primary factors influencing high radiation exposure among radiologic technologists in South Korea. This study provided detailed information on work practices, number of procedures performed on weekly basis, and occupational radiation doses among radiologic technologists in South Korea. Average radiation dose for radiologic technologists is higher than other countries, and type of facility, work safety, and wearing lead apron explained quite a portion of increased risk in the association between radiology procedures and radiation exposure among radiologic technologists.

Oncology Patient Perceptions of the Use of Ionizing Radiation in Diagnostic Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Joseph R; Jones, Aaron K; Clarke, Ryan K; Giordano, Sharon H; Shoemaker, Stowe

2016-07-01

To measure the knowledge of oncology patients regarding use and potential risks of ionizing radiation in diagnostic imaging. A 30-question survey was developed and e-mailed to 48,736 randomly selected patients who had undergone a diagnostic imaging study at a comprehensive cancer center between November 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014. The survey was designed to measure patients' knowledge about use of ionizing radiation in diagnostic imaging and attitudes about radiation. Nonresponse bias was quantified by sending an abbreviated survey to patients who did not respond to the original survey. Of the 48,736 individuals who were sent the initial survey, 9,098 (18.7%) opened it, and 5,462 (11.2%) completed it. A total of 21.7% of respondents reported knowing the definition of ionizing radiation; 35.1% stated correctly that CT used ionizing radiation; and 29.4% stated incorrectly that MRI used ionizing radiation. Many respondents did not understand risks from exposure to diagnostic doses of ionizing radiation: Of 3,139 respondents who believed that an abdominopelvic CT scan carried risk, 1,283 (40.9%) believed sterility was a risk; 669 (21.3%) believed heritable mutations were a risk; 657 (20.9%) believed acute radiation sickness was a risk; and 135 (4.3%) believed cataracts were a risk. Most patients and caregivers do not possess basic knowledge regarding the use of ionizing radiation in oncologic diagnostic imaging. To ensure health literacy and high-quality patient decision making, efforts to educate patients and caregivers should be increased. Such education might begin with information about effects that are not risks of diagnostic imaging. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy equipment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1990-05-01

This is the third edition of CSA Standard C22.2 No. 114 (now CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 114), which is one of a series of standards issued by the Canadian Standards Association under Part II of the Canadian Electrical Code. This edition marks an important shift towards harmonization of Canadian requirements with those of the European community and the United States. Also important to this edition is the expansion of its scope to include the complete range of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy equipment, rather than solely radiation-emitting equipment. In so doing, equipment previously addressed by CSA Standard C22.2 No. 125, Electromedical Equipment, specifically lasers for medical applications and diagnostic ultrasound units, is now dealt with in the new edition. By virtue of this expanded scope, many of the technical requirements in the electromedical equipment standard have been introduced to the new edition, thereby bringing CSA Standard C22.2 No. 114 up to date. 14 tabs., 16 figs.

Diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-05-01

This is the third edition of CSA Standard C22.2 No. 114 (now CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 114), which is one of a series of standards issued by the Canadian Standards Association under Part II of the Canadian Electrical Code. This edition marks an important shift towards harmonization of Canadian requirements with those of the European community and the United States. Also important to this edition is the expansion of its scope to include the complete range of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy equipment, rather than solely radiation-emitting equipment. In so doing, equipment previously addressed by CSA Standard C22.2 No. 125, Electromedical Equipment, specifically lasers for medical applications and diagnostic ultrasound units, is now dealt with in the new edition. By virtue of this expanded scope, many of the technical requirements in the electromedical equipment standard have been introduced to the new edition, thereby bringing CSA Standard C22.2 No. 114 up to date. 14 tabs., 16 figs

Radiation Dose to Patients and Medical Staff in Different Procedures of Nuclear Medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimcheva, M.; Sergieva, S.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to provide information on developing technologies and clinical techniques for Hybrid SPECT/CT imaging using ionizing radiation and their associated radiation dose to patients and medical staff. A thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) was used in this study to analyze the historic records of the external radiation doses to staff members working in our nuclear medicine department in 7 procedures, including elution of 99mTc from "9"9"mMo/"9"9"mTc generators, syringe preparation, radiopharmacy kit preparation, injection, accompanying patients, SPECT/CT scan, oral "1"3"1I preparation. These dosimeters was worn by the staff members at the level of the chest on the front part of the body. A retrospective review of 110 clinical studies of various nuclear medicine procedures ("9"9"mTc–MIBI–Tetrofosmin, "9"9"mTc–MDP bone scan, "9"9"mTc–Tektrotyd, "9"9"mTc–Thyroid imaging, "9"9"mTc–Nanocoll, "1"3"1I–Nal (diagnostic application 185 MBq) obtained on hybrid SPECT/CT systems was performed to calculate the effective radiation dose to patients. The results from this study showed that annual effective radiation doses to nuclear medicine department staff members were within permissible levels. The contribution of total effective radiation dose from SPECT component were calculated using the activity of the injected radiopharmaceutical and dose tables published by the conversion factors listed in ICRP 53 and ICRP 80. The radiation dose for CT was calculated by Dose Length Product method. According to the results of this study the dose in each procedure depends on different factors such as the education and experience of the staff members, usage of shielding and taking the radiation protection requirements into consideration. When SPECT–CT is being performed, all measures should be taken to reduce both the radiopharmaceutical dose and the CT effective dose following the ALARA principle. (author)

Analysis of utilization patterns and associated costs of the breast imaging and diagnostic procedures after screening mammography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlahiotis A

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Anna Vlahiotis,1 Brian Griffin,2 A Thomas Stavros,3 Jay Margolis1 1Value Based Care, Outcomes Research, Truven Health Analytics, an IBM Company, Bethesda, MD USA; 2Value Based Care, Outcomes Research, Truven Health Analytics, an IBM Company, Newark, NJ, USA; 3Seno Medical Instruments, Inc., San Antonio, TX, USA Background: Little data exist on real-world patterns and associated costs of downstream breast diagnostic procedures following an abnormal screening mammography or clinical exam.Objectives: To analyze the utilization patterns in real-world clinical settings for breast imaging and diagnostic procedures, including the frequency and volume of patients and procedures, procedure sequencing, and associated health care expenditures.Materials and methods: Using medical claims from 2011 to 2015 MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Databases, adult females with breast imaging/diagnostic procedures (diagnostic mammography, ultrasound, molecular breast imaging, tomosynthesis, magnetic resonance imaging, or biopsy other than screening mammography were selected. Continuous health plan coverage without breast diagnostic procedures was required for ≥13 months before the first found breast diagnostic procedure (index event, with a 13-month post-index follow-up period. Key outcomes included diagnostic procedure volumes, sequences, and payments. Results reported descriptively were projected to provide US national patient and procedure volumes.Results: The final sample of 875,526 patients was nationally projected to 12,394,432 patients annually receiving 8,732,909 diagnostic mammograms (53.3% of patients, 6,987,399 breast ultrasounds (42.4% of patients, and 1,585,856 biopsies (10.3% of patients. Following initial diagnostic procedures, 49.4% had second procedures, 20.1% followed with third procedures, and 10.0% had a fourth procedure. Mean (SD costs for diagnostic mammograms of US$349 ($493, ultrasounds US$132 ($134, and biopsies US$1,938 ($2,343 contributed

Calibration of diagnostic x-ray machines using radiation exposure and radiographic parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agba, E.H.; Uloko, P. I.; Tyovenda, A. A.

2011-01-01

Calibration of diagnostic x-ray machines using radiation exposure and radiographic parameters of the x-ray machines has been carried out. Three phase diagnostic x-ray machines situated at Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, General Hospital, Otukpo and Christian Hospital, Mkar were used for the calibration work. The radiation meter was used to measure x-ray radiation exposure. The result of this work demonstrates mR/mAs=C(KV p ) that there exist a power law relation of the form between the radiation exposure and the radiographic parameters of diagnostic x-ray machines, which can be used to estimate patient exposure during routine x-ray diagnostic examinations for wide range of operating parameters. The values of the power exponent n, constant c and total filtrations of the diagnostic x-ray machines have been estimated. These values for the diagnostic x-ray machines at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi are: 2.14, 0.88 and 2.77 respectively, for the one at the General Hospital, Otukpo are: 2.07, 0.76 and 2.68 respectively and that of the Christian Hospital, Mkar are: 2.01,0.69 and 2.61 respectively.

Anaesthesiological aspects of thorax-diagnostic procedures in intensive-care units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulte am Esch, J.

1989-01-01

Diagnostic procedures of the thorax in intensive-care units are conventional X-ray chest images, chest images by digital luminescence radiography, sonography and transoesophageal Doppler echocardiography. In addition to these bedside methods the stationary usable techniques, such as computed tomography, digital subtraction angiography and the seldom in intensive care patients used computed nuclear spin resonance tomography (NMR) are applicable. The selection of the above mentioned techniques depends on the availability and the quality of the methods as well as the qualifications of the involved staff. The diagnostic procedures of the chest must be arranged depending on the decision if patients have to be transported or not. In conclusion it can be stated that in spite of growing technical preconditions the availability of the methods in immobile patients and the diagnostic potency of the techniques have to be examined. (orig.) [de

Electron Bunch Length Diagnostic With Coherent Smith-Purcell Radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, D.C.

1997-05-12

The authors have designed a new technique for measuring subpicosecond electron bunch lengths using coherent Smith-Purcell radiation. This new diagnostic technique involves passing the electron beam in close proximity of a grating with a period comparable to the electron bunch length. The emitted Smith-Purcell radiation will have a coherent component whose angular position and distribution are directly related to the electron bunch length and longitudinal profile, respectively. This new diagnostic technique is inherently simple, inexpensive and non-intercepting. The authors show that the new technique is also scaleable to femtosecond regime.

Electron Bunch Length Diagnostic With Coherent Smith-Purcell Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, D.C.

1997-01-01

The authors have designed a new technique for measuring subpicosecond electron bunch lengths using coherent Smith-Purcell radiation. This new diagnostic technique involves passing the electron beam in close proximity of a grating with a period comparable to the electron bunch length. The emitted Smith-Purcell radiation will have a coherent component whose angular position and distribution are directly related to the electron bunch length and longitudinal profile, respectively. This new diagnostic technique is inherently simple, inexpensive and non-intercepting. The authors show that the new technique is also scaleable to femtosecond regime

Procedure and methodology of Radiation Protection optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hengde

1995-01-01

Optimization of Radiation Protection is one of the most important principles in the system of radiation protection. The paper introduces the basic principles of radiation protection optimization in general, and the procedure of implementing radiation protection optimization and methods of selecting the optimized radiation protection option in details, in accordance with ICRP 55. Finally, some economic concepts relating to estimation of costs are discussed briefly

Developing diagnostic guidelines for the acute radiation syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Densow, D.; Fliedner, T.M.; Kindler, H.

1996-01-01

Diagnostic guidelines seem to be promising for improving medical care. One aspect of a diagnostic guideline for the acute radiation syndrome has been tested against an extensive case history database. Subsequently, the guideline has been optimized for a small set of case histories. The improved performance has been proven by a test against the rest of the case history database

Occupational radiation doses during interventional procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuraeni, N; Hiswara, E; Kartikasari, D; Waris, A; Haryanto, F

2016-01-01

Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is a type of fluoroscopy technique used in interventional radiology to clearly visualize blood vessels in a bony or dense soft tissue environment. The use of DSA procedures has been increased quite significantly in the Radiology departments in various cities in Indonesia. Various reports showed that both patients and medical staff received a noticeable radiation dose during the course of this procedure. A study had been carried out to measure these doses among interventionalist, nurse and radiographer. The results show that the interventionalist and the nurse, who stood quite close to the X-ray beams compared with the radiographer, received radiation higher than the others. The results also showed that the radiation dose received by medical staff were var depending upon the duration and their position against the X-ray beams. Compared tothe dose limits, however, the radiation dose received by all these three medical staff were still lower than the limits. (paper)

Explanation of diagnostic criteria for radiation thyroid diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Libo; Luo Yunxiao; Wang Jianfeng; Chen Dawei; Cheng Guanghui; Jin Yuke

2012-01-01

National occupational health standard-Diagnostic Criteria for Radiation Thyroid Diseases has been approved and issued by the Ministry of Health. Based on the extensive research of literature, this standard was enacted according to the relevant laws and regulations. It is mainly used for diagnosis of thyroid diseases caused by occupational radiation, and it also can serve as a guide to diagnose thyroid disease induced by medical radiation. To implement this standard, and to diagnose and treat the radiation thyroid diseases patient correctly and timely, the contents of this standard were interpreted in this article. (authors)

Medical interventional procedures--reducing the radiation risks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cousins, C.; Sharp, C.

2004-01-01

Over the last 40 years, the number of percutaneous interventional procedures using radiation has increased significantly, with many secondary care clinicians using fluoroscopically guided techniques. Many procedures can deliver high radiation doses to patients and staff, with the potential to cause immediate and delayed radiation effects. The challenge for interventionists is to maximize benefit, whilst minimizing radiation risk to patients and staff. Non-radiologist clinicians are often inadequately trained in radiation safety and radiobiology. However, clinical governance and legislation now requires a more rigorous approach to protecting patients and staff. Protection can be ensured, and risks can be controlled, by appropriate design, procurement and commissioning of equipment; quality assurance; and optimal operational technique, backed by audit. Interventionists need knowledge and skills to reduce the risks. Appropriate training should include awareness of the potential for radiation injury, equipment operational parameters, doses measurement and recording methods and dose reduction techniques. Clinical governance requires informed consent, appropriate patient counselling and follow-up

Medical interventional procedures--reducing the radiation risks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cousins, C. E-mail: claire.cousins@addenbrookes.nhs.uk; Sharp, C

2004-06-01

Over the last 40 years, the number of percutaneous interventional procedures using radiation has increased significantly, with many secondary care clinicians using fluoroscopically guided techniques. Many procedures can deliver high radiation doses to patients and staff, with the potential to cause immediate and delayed radiation effects. The challenge for interventionists is to maximize benefit, whilst minimizing radiation risk to patients and staff. Non-radiologist clinicians are often inadequately trained in radiation safety and radiobiology. However, clinical governance and legislation now requires a more rigorous approach to protecting patients and staff. Protection can be ensured, and risks can be controlled, by appropriate design, procurement and commissioning of equipment; quality assurance; and optimal operational technique, backed by audit. Interventionists need knowledge and skills to reduce the risks. Appropriate training should include awareness of the potential for radiation injury, equipment operational parameters, doses measurement and recording methods and dose reduction techniques. Clinical governance requires informed consent, appropriate patient counselling and follow-up.

Two dimensional radiated power diagnostics on Alcator C-Mod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reinke, M. L.; Hutchinson, I. H.

2008-01-01

The radiated power diagnostics for the Alcator C-Mod tokamak have been upgraded to measure two dimensional structure of the photon emissivity profile in order to investigate poloidal asymmetries in the core radiation. Commonly utilized unbiased absolute extreme ultraviolet (AXUV) diode arrays view the plasma along five different horizontal planes. The layout of the diagnostic set is shown and the results from calibrations and recent experiments are discussed. Data showing a significant, 30%-40%, inboard/outboard emissivity asymmetry during ELM-free H-mode are presented. The ability to use AXUV diode arrays to measure absolute radiated power is explored by comparing diode and resistive bolometer-based emissivity profiles for highly radiative L-mode plasmas seeded with argon. Emissivity profiles match in the core but disagree radially outward resulting in an underprediction of P rad of nearly 50% by the diodes compared to P rad determined using resistive bolometers.

Two dimensional radiated power diagnostics on Alcator C-Moda)

Science.gov (United States)

Reinke, M. L.; Hutchinson, I. H.

2008-10-01

The radiated power diagnostics for the Alcator C-Mod tokamak have been upgraded to measure two dimensional structure of the photon emissivity profile in order to investigate poloidal asymmetries in the core radiation. Commonly utilized unbiased absolute extreme ultraviolet (AXUV) diode arrays view the plasma along five different horizontal planes. The layout of the diagnostic set is shown and the results from calibrations and recent experiments are discussed. Data showing a significant, 30%-40%, inboard/outboard emissivity asymmetry during ELM-free H-mode are presented. The ability to use AXUV diode arrays to measure absolute radiated power is explored by comparing diode and resistive bolometer-based emissivity profiles for highly radiative L-mode plasmas seeded with argon. Emissivity profiles match in the core but disagree radially outward resulting in an underprediction of Prad of nearly 50% by the diodes compared to Prad determined using resistive bolometers.

Pregnancy and Radiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hatice Bilge

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Many women per year expose ionizing radiation during pregnancy for medical reason (diagnostic or treatment. Ionizing radiation is known to cause harm on the human embryo and fetus. Potential adverse outcomes related to radiation exposure during pregnancy include teratogenicity, genetic damage, intrauterine death and increased risk of malignancy. Most diagnostic radiation procedures will lead to a fetal absorbed dose of less than 1 mGy (0.1 rad for imaging not involving abdomen / pelvis, less than 50 mGy (5 rad for involving abdomen / pelvis and less than 10 mGy (1 rad for direct or nuclear medicine imaging. When a pregnant patient requires radiation therapy, the physician should consider fetal sensitivity to radiation in early gestational age and the expected dose of radiation and should then calculate the risk to the fetus versus the benefits to the mother. It is safest to administer radiotherapy during or after the 25th week of gestation. The use of radiation for diagnostic imaging or treatment in the pregnant woman is associated with a high level of anxiety for woman, her family and her doctors. This article reviews the biological effects of radiation on the fetus. Recommendations to take in to account when considering the safety of the fetus during a procedure are presented.

Audit of radiation dose during balloon mitral valvuloplasty procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livingstone, Roshan S; Chandy, Sunil; Peace, B S Timothy; George, Paul; John, Bobby; Pati, Purendra

2006-01-01

Radiation doses to patients during cardiological procedures are of concern in the present day scenario. This study was intended to audit the radiation dose imparted to patients during the balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV) procedure. Thirty seven patients who underwent the BMV procedure performed using two dedicated cardiovascular machines were included in the study. The radiation doses imparted to patients were measured using a dose area product (DAP) meter. The mean DAP value for patients who underwent the BMV procedure from one machine was 19.16 Gy cm 2 and from the other was 21.19 Gy cm 2 . Optimisation of exposure parameters and radiation doses was possible for one machine with the use of appropriate copper filters and optimised exposure parameters, and the mean DAP value after optimisation was 9.36 Gy cm 2

Characterization of radiation qualities used in diagnostic X-ray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bero, M.; Zahili, M.; Al Ahmad, M.

2013-12-01

This study aims to adjust the radiation beams emitted from X-ray tubes installed at the National Radiation Metrology Laboratory in the field of diagnostic radiology (radiology and mammography) according to the IAEA protocol code number TRS 457, the second goal of this study is to establish various radiation qualities used fordiagnostic radiology applications: RQR, RQA and RQT and the radiation qualities related to mammography applications: RQA-M and RQR-M (author).

D-T radiation effects on TFTR diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramsey, A.T.

1994-10-01

For a 50%-50% deuterium-tritium plasma, the neutron production is 80x higher and the total energy release is 200x higher than the same plasma composed only of deuterium. With this increase in radiation, diagnostics which see only negligible amounts of noise during DD operation may find themselves overwhelmed during DT. The neutrons are not only more numerous, but have 6x as much energy, which causes the calculated 2.4x increase in the gamma flux per neutron near TFTR. We report here the effects of this increased radiation on the TFTR diagnostic set. The most noticeable effects are luminescence and transmission losses in fiber optic signal cables. In addition, a plastic fiber near the torus became unusably opaque after a few DT discharges. Silicon detectors show signs of neutron interactions as well as gamma response, and microchannel electron multipliers show an increased background due to the gamma flux. Bolometers show n and γ heating, and the Thomson scattering intensifier gate spark gap was unreliable until the gas pressure was adjusted. All of these effects were anticipated, and in some cases shielding or compensation techniques were used. Compensation fibers work satisfactorily at these radiation levels, and the rapid fall-off of the radiation as one moves away from the machine makes relocation of fibers and other sensitive components very useful. Conventional shielding designs worked when streaming through signal penetrations was properly dealt with. In coming DT campaigns and the generation of new tokamaks, such problems will be more severe. JET anticipates higher dose levels per shot during DT; TPX has 1000 s pulses and ITER presents a particularly difficult challenge. We shall discuss the implications of our results for diagnostics on these machines

Revised radiation emergency procedures at Pakistan research reactor PINSTECH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orfi, S.D.; Javed, M.; Ahmad, S.; Akhtar, K.M.; Mubarak, M.A.

1984-12-01

Necessary procedures have been laid down in this report to meet the radiation emergency at Pakistan Research Reactor PINSTECH. The Nuclear Safety Committee PINSTECH (NSCP) had also recommended a number of improvements in the existing procedures. Revision of the procedures was also considered necessary to incorporate into it new radiation units/limits and new emergency equipment available. Radiation emergency preparedness programme is of continuous nature. Latest developments else-where and local experience contribute to the improvement of the existing arrangements under this programme. (A.B.)

[Diagnostic imaging and radiation hazards].

Science.gov (United States)

Claudon, Michel; Guillaume, Luc

2015-01-01

For the last 20 years, the exposure of the population to medical radiation has been increased by 600%, mainly due to the extension of new imaging modalities such as CT or interventional radiology. The risk for radio-induced hazards is especially marked for children, because of the high sensivity of tissues to radiation especially during the first decade of the life. Two main ways allow to better control and reduce the mean effective dose per patient in diagnostic imaging: the introduction of recent technical improvement (i.e. low dose CT scans using iterative reconstruction algorithms, low dose technique for pediatric spine), and the substitution to non-radiating techniques such as ultrasound and MRI. The French National institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety periodically publishes dose reference levels for conventional films and CT examinations, for both adults and pediatric patients. A close relationship between clinicians and radiologists remains essential for a better appreciation of the risk/benefit ratio of each individual examination using X-Rays.

A novel radiation protection drape reduces radiation exposure during fluoroscopy guided electrophysiology procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Germano, Joseph J; Day, Gina; Gregorious, David; Natarajan, Venkataraman; Cohen, Todd

2005-09-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a novel disposable lead-free radiation protection drape for decreasing radiation scatter during electrophysiology procedures. In recent years, there has been an exponential increase in the number of electrophysiology (EP) procedures exposing patients, operators and laboratory staff to higher radiation doses. The RADPAD was positioned slightly lateral to the incision site for pectoral device implants and superior to the femoral vein during electrophysiology studies. Each patient served as their own control and dosimetric measurements were obtained at the examiner's elbow and hand. Radiation badge readings for the operator were obtained three months prior to RADPAD use and three months after introduction. Radiation dosimetry was obtained in twenty patients: 7 electrophysiology studies, 6 pacemakers, 5 catheter ablations, and 2 implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. Eleven women and nine men with a mean age of 63 +/- 4 years had an average fluoroscopy time of 2.5 +/- 0.42 minutes per case. Mean dosimetric measurements at the hand were reduced from 141.38 +/- 24.67 to 48.63 +/- 9.02 milliroentgen (mR) per hour using the protective drape (63% reduction; p < 0.0001). Measurements at the elbow were reduced from 78.78 +/- 7.95 mR per hour to 34.50 +/- 4.18 mR per hour using the drape (55% reduction; p < 0.0001). Badge readings for three months prior to drape introduction averaged 2.45 mR per procedure versus 1.54 mR per procedure for 3 months post-initiation (37% reduction). The use of a novel radiation protection surgical drape can significantly reduce scatter radiation exposure to staff and operators during a variety of EP procedures.

Diagnostic radiation and its prognosis of pineal region tumor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Momose, Toshimitsu; Aoki, Yukimasa; Akanuma, Atsuo; Machida, Tohru; Iio, Masahiro; Takakura, Kimitomo

1984-01-01

20 Gy of local irradiation was performed for the patients with pineal region tumor. We evaluated the tumor volume on X-CT in the pre-radiation and 20 Gy of post-radiation state. If tumor is sensitive enough to radiation therapy, we add 40 Gy of whole brain and 30 to 40 Gy of whole spine irradiation. If not, we transfer patients to neurosurgeons for the purpose of tumor ressection. We call this procedure ''Diagnostic Radiation.'' We proposed the concept of TRR (Tumor Regression Ratio) in order to evaluate our protocol more objctively. TRR is as follows: TRR (%) = [1-Total Tumor Volume (at each dose) / Total Tumor Volume (at o Gy)] x 100 (%) Total Tumor Volume(mm 3 ) = slice thickness(mm) x siguma HDA (mm 2 ) on each slice: where HDA is high density area on enhanced CT. Eleven patients were studied and TRR of each patients was calculated. The relations between TRR, tumor markers, CSF seeding and prognoiss was discussed. From our study, (1) TRR at 20Gy was important and might predict approximate prognosis of each cae case. A) TRR = 100 → very good B) TRR < 20 → poor C) 20 <= TRR < 100 → high possibility (2) Majority of TRR < 100 cases have turned out to be histologically in teratoma category. (3) Good correlation between the level of tumor markers and prognosis was observed. Cases with elevated level of AFP and/or HCG were radio- resistant and had poor prognosis. (4) Distant metastasis must also be kept in mind in the treatment of pineal region tumor. (author)

Audit of radiation dose during balloon mitral valvuloplasty procedure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Livingstone, Roshan S [Department of Radiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, TN (India); Chandy, Sunil [Department of Cardiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, TN (India); Peace, B S Timothy [Department of Radiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, TN (India); George, Paul [Department of Cardiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, TN (India); John, Bobby [Department of Cardiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, TN (India); Pati, Purendra [Department of Cardiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore-632004, TN (India)

2006-12-15

Radiation doses to patients during cardiological procedures are of concern in the present day scenario. This study was intended to audit the radiation dose imparted to patients during the balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV) procedure. Thirty seven patients who underwent the BMV procedure performed using two dedicated cardiovascular machines were included in the study. The radiation doses imparted to patients were measured using a dose area product (DAP) meter. The mean DAP value for patients who underwent the BMV procedure from one machine was 19.16 Gy cm{sup 2} and from the other was 21.19 Gy cm{sup 2}. Optimisation of exposure parameters and radiation doses was possible for one machine with the use of appropriate copper filters and optimised exposure parameters, and the mean DAP value after optimisation was 9.36 Gy cm{sup 2}.

Explanation of diagnostic criteria for radiation-induced nervous system disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing Zhiwei; Jiang Enhai

2012-01-01

National occupational health standard-Diagnostic Criteria for Radiation-Induced Nervous System Disease has been issued and implemented by the Ministry of health. This standard contained three independent criteria of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury. These three kinds of disease often go together in clinic,therefore,the three diagnostic criteria were merged into radioactive nervous system disease diagnostic criteria for entirety and maneuverability of the standard. This standard was formulated based on collection of the clinical practice experience, extensive research of relevant literature and foreign relevant publications. It is mainly applied to diagnosis and treatment of occupational radiation-induced nervous system diseases, and to nervous system diseases caused by medical radiation exposure as well. In order to properly implement this standard, also to correctly deal with radioactive nervous system injury, the main contents of this standard including dose threshold, clinical manifestation, indexing standard and treatment principle were interpreted in this article. (authors)

Dental flat panel conebeam CT in the evaluation of patients with inflammatory sinonasal disease: Diagnostic efficacy and radiation dose savings.

Science.gov (United States)

Leiva-Salinas, C; Flors, L; Gras, P; Más-Estellés, F; Lemercier, P; Patrie, J T; Wintermark, M; Martí-Bonmatí, L

2014-01-01

CT is the imaging modality of choice to study the paranasal sinuses; unfortunately, it involves significant radiation dose. Our aim was to assess the diagnostic validity, image quality, and radiation-dose savings of dental conebeam CT in the evaluation of patients with suspected inflammatory disorders of the paranasal sinuses. We prospectively studied 40 patients with suspected inflammatory disorders of the sinuses with dental conebeam CT and standard CT. Two radiologists analyzed the images independently, blinded to clinical information. The image quality of both techniques and the diagnostic validity of dental conebeam CT compared with the reference standard CT were assessed by using 3 different scoring systems. Image noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio were calculated for both techniques. The absorbed radiation dose to the lenses and thyroid and parotid glands was measured by using a phantom and dosimeter chips. The effective radiation dose for CT was calculated. All dental conebeam CT scans were judged of diagnostic quality. Compared with CT, the conebeam CT image noise was 37.3% higher (P radiation dose to the lenses and parotid and thyroid glands with conebeam CT was 4%, 7.8%, and 7.3% of the dose delivered to the same organs by conventional CT (P Dental conebeam CT is a valid imaging procedure for the evaluation of patients with inflammatory sinonasal disorders. © 2014 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Towards the definition of Institutional diagnostic reference levels in paediatric interventional cardiology procedures in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Kottou, S; Kollaros, N; Plemmenos, C; Mastorakou, I; Apostolopoulou, S C; Tsapaki, V

2018-02-01

This study aimed to evaluate paediatric radiation doses in a dedicated cardiology hospital, with the objective of characterising patterns in dose variation. The ultimate purpose was to define Local (Institutional) Diagnostic Reference Levels (LDRLs) for different types of paediatric cardiac interventional procedures (IC), according to patient age. From a total of 710 cases performed during three consecutive years, by operators with more than 15 years of experience, the age was noted in only 477 IC procedures. The median values obtained for Fluoroscopy Time (FT), Number of Frames (N) and Kerma Area Product (P KA ) by age range were 5.8 min, 1322 and 2.0 Gy.cm 2 for definition of LDRLs presents challenges mainly due to the multiple clinical and technical factors affecting the outcome. On the other hand the lack of paediatric IC DRLs makes the identification of good practices more difficult. A consensus is needed on IC procedures nomenclature and grouping in order to allow a common assessment and comparison of doses. Copyright © 2018 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiological protection of the patient in the diagnostic X-ray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo, A.M.C. de

1983-01-01

Measures and procedures are given in relation to the radiological protection of the patient in diagnostic radiology. Technical and physical factors of the patient protection are discussed, as radiation beam properties, size of the irradiation field, shieldings, control of the scattered radiation that reaches the imaging record system, films, ecrans and radiographic film processing. General recommendations about the radiation protection of the patient in diagnostic radiology are given. (M.A.) [pt

Dose evaluation in medical staff during diagnostics procedures in interventional radiology; Avaliacao da dose na equipe medica durante procedimentos diagnoticos de radiologia intervencionista

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bacchim Neto, Fernando A.; Alves, Allan F.F.; Rosa, Maria E.D.; Miranda, Jose R.A. [Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Botucatu, SP (Brazil). Instituto de Biociencias. Departamento de Fisica e Biofisica; Moura, Regina [Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, SP (Brazil). Departamento de Cirurgia e Ortopedia; Pina, Diana R., E-mail: bacchim@ibb.unesp.br [Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Botucatu, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Medicina. Departamento de Doencas Tropicais e Diagnostico por Imagem

2014-08-15

Studies show that personal dosimeters may underestimate the dose values in interventional physicians, especially in extremities and crystalline. The objective of this work was to study the radiation exposure levels of medical staff in diagnostic interventional radiology procedures. For this purpose LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100) dosimeters were placed in different regions of the physician body. When comparing with reference dose levels, the maximum numbers of annual procedures were found. This information is essential to ensure the radiological protection of those professionals. (author)

Gonad shielding in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1975-01-01

The use of gonad shielding is an important radiation protection technique, intended to reduce unnecessary x-ray exposure of the gonads of patients from diagnostic x-ray procedures. The types of gonad shields in use are discussed as are the types of diagnostic examinations that should include gonad shielding. It was found that when properly used, most shields provided substantial gonad dose reductions

Radiation dose reduction: comparative assessment of publication volume between interventional and diagnostic radiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansmann, Jan; Henzler, Thomas; Gaba, Ron C; Morelli, John N

2017-01-01

We aimed to quantify and compare awareness regarding radiation dose reduction within the interventional radiology and diagnostic radiology communities. Abstracts accepted to the annual meetings of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE), the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), and the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) between 2005 and 2015 were analyzed using the search terms "interventional/computed tomography" and "radiation dose/radiation dose reduction." A PubMed query using the above-mentioned search terms for the years of 2005-2015 was performed. Between 2005 and 2015, a total of 14 520 abstracts (mean, 660±297 abstracts) and 80 614 abstracts (mean, 3664±1025 abstracts) were presented at interventional and diagnostic radiology meetings, respectively. Significantly fewer abstracts related to radiation dose were presented at the interventional radiology meetings compared with the diagnostic radiology meetings (162 abstracts [1% of total] vs. 2706 [3% of total]; P radiology abstracts (range, 6-27) and 246±105 diagnostic radiology abstracts (range, 112-389) pertaining to radiation dose were presented at each meeting. The PubMed query revealed an average of 124±39 publications (range, 79-187) and 1205±307 publications (range, 829-1672) related to interventional and diagnostic radiology dose reduction per year, respectively (P radiology community over the past 10 years has not mirrored the increased volume seen within diagnostic radiology, suggesting that increased education and discussion about this topic may be warranted.

Current diagnostic procedures for diagnosing vertigo and dizziness

Science.gov (United States)

Walther, Leif Erik

2017-01-01

Vertigo is a multisensory syndrome that otolaryngologists are confronted with every day. With regard to the complex functions of the sense of orientation, vertigo is considered today as a disorder of the sense of direction, a disturbed spatial perception of the body. Beside the frequent classical syndromes for which vertigo is the leading symptom (e.g. positional vertigo, vestibular neuritis, Menière’s disease), vertigo may occur as main or accompanying symptom of a multitude of ENT-related diseases involving the inner ear. It also concerns for example acute and chronic viral or bacterial infections of the ear with serous or bacterial labyrinthitis, disorders due to injury (e.g. barotrauma, fracture of the oto-base, contusion of the labyrinth), chronic-inflammatory bone processes as well as inner ear affections in the perioperative course. In the last years, diagnostics of vertigo have experienced a paradigm shift due to new diagnostic possibilities. In the diagnostics of emergency cases, peripheral and central disorders of vertigo (acute vestibular syndrome) may be differentiated with simple algorithms. The introduction of modern vestibular test procedures (video head impulse test, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials) in the clinical practice led to new diagnostic options that for the first time allow a complex objective assessment of all components of the vestibular organ with relatively low effort. Combined with established methods, a frequency-specific assessment of the function of vestibular reflexes is possible. New classifications allow a clinically better differentiation of vertigo syndromes. Modern radiological procedures such as for example intratympanic gadolinium application for Menière’s disease with visualization of an endolymphatic hydrops also influence current medical standards. Recent methodical developments significantly contributed to the possibilities that nowadays vertigo can be better and more quickly clarified in particular in

The radiation protection optimisation in contrast X-ray diagnostic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markovic, S.; Pavlovic, R.

1995-01-01

In the class of artificial sources, X-ray diagnostic techniques irradiate global population with more than 90 % share in total dose. At the same time this is the only area with high possibilities in collective dose reduction without important investments. Exposure of the medical team is mainly related to unnecessary irradiation. Eliminating this unnecessary irradiation quality of diagnostic information remains undisturbed. From the radiation protection point of view the most critical X-ray diagnostic method is angiography. This paper presents the radiation protection optimisation calculation of the protective lead thickness using the Cost - Benefit analysis technique. The obtained numerical results are based on calculated collective dose, the estimated prices of the lead and lead glass thickness and the adopted price for monetary value of the collective dose unit α. (author) 3 figs., 10 refs

The radiation protection optimisation in contrast X-ray diagnostic techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markovic, S; Pavlovic, R [Inst. of Nuclear Science Vinca, Belgrade (Yugoslavia). Radiation and Environmental Protection Lab.; Boreli, F [Fac. of Electrical Engineering, Belgrade (Yugoslavia)

1996-12-31

In the class of artificial sources, X-ray diagnostic techniques irradiate global population with more than 90 % share in total dose. At the same time this is the only area with high possibilities in collective dose reduction without important investments. Exposure of the medical team is mainly related to unnecessary irradiation. Eliminating this unnecessary irradiation quality of diagnostic information remains undisturbed. From the radiation protection point of view the most critical X-ray diagnostic method is angiography. This paper presents the radiation protection optimisation calculation of the protective lead thickness using the Cost - Benefit analysis technique. The obtained numerical results are based on calculated collective dose, the estimated prices of the lead and lead glass thickness and the adopted price for monetary value of the collective dose unit {alpha}. (author) 3 figs., 10 refs.

The Downside of Diagnostic Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

An article about radiation exposure during computed tomography and nuclear imaging procedures and the risk of cancer. Several studies released in 2009 have helped to quantify the risk and the growing use of these diagnostic imaging methods.

Deterministic effects of interventional radiology procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shope, Thomas B.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe deterministic radiation injuries reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that resulted from therapeutic, interventional procedures performed under fluoroscopic guidance, and to investigate the procedure or equipment-related factors that may have contributed to the injury. Reports submitted to the FDA under both mandatory and voluntary reporting requirements which described radiation-induced skin injuries from fluoroscopy were investigated. Serious skin injuries, including moist desquamation and tissues necrosis, have occurred since 1992. These injuries have resulted from a variety of interventional procedures which have required extended periods of fluoroscopy compared to typical diagnostic procedures. Facilities conducting therapeutic interventional procedures need to be aware of the potential for patient radiation injury and take appropriate steps to limit the potential for injury. (author)

Evaluation of radiation protection in interventional orthopedic procedures in Khartoum state

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, M. Y. A.

2013-06-01

In this study an evaluation of radiation safety and protection in interventional orthopedic procedures for the staff in three theatres in Khartoum state was conducted. To evaluate radiation protection program and staff knowledge with regard to radiation protection a questionnaire was designed and distributed among the staff there. Integrity check was conducted on the available radiation tools ( lead aprons) to ensure that they provide optimal protection when positioned appropriately. Also dose rate was measured around the theatre to evaluate the level of leakage radiation. Finally the absorbed dose to orthopedic specialists was measured during several procedures. The study showed the absence of most of the radiation protection and safety procedures that ensure the protection of of workers and lack of radiation protection program. The integrity check conducted on lead aprons showed uncapable crack in about 24% of the checked aprons. And in spite of this, there was no action taken to withdraw those faulty aprons or to replace them due to the acute shortage of the aprons available in the three centers and this will cause unjustified radiation exposure to the staff. The level of radiation around the theatres was found to fall within the acceptable limit according to the international commission of radiation protection (ICRP) recommendations that -if implemented -could improve the status of radiation protection in interventional orthopedic procedures. The improve. The important recommendations are to establish a single regulatory authority in Sudan independent from any user or promotion of radiation as well as to conduct periodically training courses for orthopedic staff on radiation protection in orthopedic interventional procedures.(Author)

Requirements for the special examination of isotope diagnostic specialists

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Csakany, Gyoergy

1986-01-01

Isotope diagnostic specialists are required to possess general paraclinical knowledge about nuclear physical principles, basic radiological measuring methods including up-to-date ones such as scintiscanning and tomography, as well as about radiopharmacology, radiation biology, health physics, radiation protection and organizational and economic aspects of the examinations. Clinical isotope diagnostic requirements comprise the proper selection among different radiological methods, the correct application of certain diagnostic procedures in practise, and the evaluation of the results in accordance with the symptoms on various fields of medical science. (V.N.)

Nuclear energy - Radioprotection - Procedure for radiation protection monitoring in nuclear installations for external exposure to weakly penetrating radiation, especially to beta radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This International Standard specifies a procedure for radiation protection monitoring in nuclear installations for external exposure to weakly penetrating radiation, especially to beta radiation and describes the procedure in radiation protection monitoring for external exposure to weakly penetrating radiation in nuclear installations. This radiation comprises β - radiation, β + radiation and conversion electron radiation as well as photon radiation with energies below 15 keV. This International Standard describes the procedure in radiation protection planning and monitoring as well as the measurement and analysis to be applied. It applies to regular nuclear power plant operation including maintenance, waste handling and decommissioning. The recommendations of this International Standard may also be transferred to other nuclear fields including reprocessing, if the area-specific issues are considered. This International Standard may also be applied to radiation protection at accelerator facilities and in nuclear medicine, biology and research facilities

Intraarticular Sacroiliac Joint Injection Under Computed Tomography Fluoroscopic Guidance: A Technical Note to Reduce Procedural Time and Radiation Dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paik, Nam Chull

2016-01-01

PurposeA technique for computed tomography fluoroscopy (CTF)-guided intraarticular (IA) sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injection was devised to limit procedural time and radiation dose.MethodsOur Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective analysis and waived the requirement for informed consent. Overall, 36 consecutive diagnostic or therapeutic IA SIJ injections (unilateral, 20; bilateral, 16) performed in 34 patients (female, 18; male, 16) with a mean age of 45.5 years (range 20–76 years) under CTF guidance were analyzed, assessing technical success (i.e., IA contrast spread), procedural time, and radiation dose.ResultsAll injections were successful from a technical perspective and were free of serious complications. Respective median procedural times and effective doses of SIJ injection were as follows: unilateral, 5.28 min (range 3.58–8.00 min) and 0.11 millisievert (mSv; range 0.07–0.24 mSv); and bilateral, 6.72 min (range 4.17–21.17 min) and 0.11 mSv (range 0.09–0.51 mSv).ConclusionsGiven the high rate of technical success achieved in limited time duration and with little radiation exposure, CTF-guided IA SIJ injection is a practical and low-risk procedure.

Intraarticular Sacroiliac Joint Injection Under Computed Tomography Fluoroscopic Guidance: A Technical Note to Reduce Procedural Time and Radiation Dose

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paik, Nam Chull, E-mail: pncspine@gmail.com [Arumdaun Wooldul Spine Hospital, Department of Radiology (Korea, Republic of)

2016-07-15

PurposeA technique for computed tomography fluoroscopy (CTF)-guided intraarticular (IA) sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injection was devised to limit procedural time and radiation dose.MethodsOur Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective analysis and waived the requirement for informed consent. Overall, 36 consecutive diagnostic or therapeutic IA SIJ injections (unilateral, 20; bilateral, 16) performed in 34 patients (female, 18; male, 16) with a mean age of 45.5 years (range 20–76 years) under CTF guidance were analyzed, assessing technical success (i.e., IA contrast spread), procedural time, and radiation dose.ResultsAll injections were successful from a technical perspective and were free of serious complications. Respective median procedural times and effective doses of SIJ injection were as follows: unilateral, 5.28 min (range 3.58–8.00 min) and 0.11 millisievert (mSv; range 0.07–0.24 mSv); and bilateral, 6.72 min (range 4.17–21.17 min) and 0.11 mSv (range 0.09–0.51 mSv).ConclusionsGiven the high rate of technical success achieved in limited time duration and with little radiation exposure, CTF-guided IA SIJ injection is a practical and low-risk procedure.

Pain related to cancer treatments and diagnostic procedures: a no man's land?

Science.gov (United States)

Ripamonti, C I; Bossi, P; Santini, D; Fallon, M

2014-06-01

While guidelines are available for the management of cancer-related pain, little attention is given to the assessment and treatment of pain caused by treatments and diagnostic procedures in cancer patients. We evaluated the literature on pain related to cancer treatment and diagnostic procedures within a critical analysis. The data available are sparse, suggesting that little attention has been directed at this important aspect of oncology. This points to potentially suboptimal patient management. Appropriate studies are necessary in order to understand the incidence and appropriate management of pain, both during and/or after oncological treatments and diagnostic procedures. At the same time, Health Care Professionals should have heightened awareness of the causes and treatment of pain with the aim of anticipating and managing pain most appropriately for each individual patient. This is clearly an important component of holistic patient care before, during, and after oncological treatment. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Diagnostic radiation and chromosome aberrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patil, S.R.; Hecht, F.; Lubs, H.A.; Kimberling, W.; Brown, J.; Gerald, P.S.; Summitt, R.L.

1977-01-01

Some evidence is presented suggesting that diagnostic X-rays may be important in the origin of a new chromosomal abnormality other than Down syndrome. Chromosome analyses have been carried out on 4342 children, seven or eight years old. Maternal diagnostic irradiation in the year before conception and up to third lunar month of the index pregnancy was recorded, before the chromosome study began, together with a large amount of family and clinical data. Information on X-ray exposure was supplied by the mothers, s o radiation dosage could not be estimated. 21 children (including a pair of twins and a pair of siblings) born to 19 mothers had chromosomal aberrations. The mothers of six children with inherited translocations, rearrangements and XYY karyotypes were excluded, and 3 (23%) of the remaining 13 mothers had received abdominal and pelvic X-ray exposures. In the whole sample, however, only 6% of the mothers had diagnostic irradiation. Two of these mothers, aged sixteen and twenty, gave birth to a child each with de-novo autosomal translocations, and the third mother, aged thirty-two, had a child with a complex mosaicism involving one X chromosome. Although the sample size of the mothers with chromosomally abnormal children is small, the results are significant. (U.K.)

Diagnostic radiation and chromosome aberrations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patil, S R; Hecht, F [Dept. of Pediatrics, Child Development and Rehabilitation Center, Univ. of Oregon Health Sciences Center, Portland, Oregon (USA); Lubs, H A; Kimberling, W; Brown, J; Gerald, P S; Summitt, R L

1977-01-15

Some evidence is presented suggesting that diagnostic X-rays may be important in the origin of a new chromosomal abnormality other than Down syndrome. Chromosome analyses have been carried out on 4342 children, seven or eight years old. Maternal diagnostic irradiation in the year before conception and up to third lunar month of the index pregnancy was recorded, before the chromosome study began, together with a large amount of family and clinical data. Information on X-ray exposure was supplied by the mothers, so radiation dosage could not be estimated. 21 children (including a pair of twins and a pair of siblings) born to 19 mothers had chromosomal aberrations. The mothers of six children with inherited translocations, rearrangements and XYY karyotypes were excluded, and 3 (23%) of the remaining 13 mothers had received abdominal and pelvic X-ray exposures. In the whole sample, however, only 6% of the mothers had diagnostic irradiation. Two of these mothers, aged sixteen and twenty, gave birth to a child each with de-novo autosomal translocations, and the third mother, aged thirty-two, had a child with a complex mosaicism involving one X chromosome. Although the sample size of the mothers with chromosomally abnormal children is small, the results are significant.

Radiation safety requirements for training of users of diagnostic X ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background. Globally, the aim of requirements regarding the use and ownership of diagnostic medical X-ray equipment is to limit radiation by abiding by the 'as low as reasonably achievable' (ALARA) principle. The ignorance of radiographers with regard to radiation safety requirements, however, is currently a cause of ...

A review of the fundamental principles of radiation protection when applied to the patient in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moores, B. Michael

2017-01-01

A review of the role and relevance of the principles of radiation protection of the patient in diagnostic radiology as specified by ICRP has been undertaken when diagnostic risks arising from an examination are taken into account. The increase in population doses arising from diagnostic radiology over the past 20 years has been due to the widespread application of higher dose CT examinations that provide significantly more clinical information. Consequently, diagnostic risks as well as radiation risks need to be considered within the patient radiation protection framework. Justification and optimisation are discussed and the limitations imposed on patient protection by employing only a radiation risk framework is highlighted. The example of radiation protection of the patient in breast screening programmes employing mammography is used to highlight the importance of defined diagnostic outcomes in any effective radiation protection strategy. (author)

Comparative analysis of diagnostic accuracy of different brain biopsy procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Deepali; Sharma, Mehar Chand; Sarkar, Chitra; Gupta, Deepak; Singh, Manmohan; Mahapatra, A K

2006-12-01

Image-guided procedures such as computed tomography (CT) guided, neuronavigator-guided and ultrasound-guided methods can assist neurosurgeons in localizing the intraparenchymal lesion of the brain. However, despite improvements in the imaging techniques, an accurate diagnosis of intrinsic lesion requires tissue sampling and histological verification. The present study was carried out to examine the reliability of the diagnoses made on tumor sample obtained via different stereotactic and ultrasound-guided brain biopsy procedures. A retrospective analysis was conducted of all brain biopsies (frame-based and frameless stereotactic and ultrasound-guided) performed in a single tertiary care neurosciences center between 1995 and 2005. The overall diagnostic accuracy achieved on histopathology and correlation with type of biopsy technique was evaluated. A total of 130 cases were included, which consisted of 82 males and 48 females. Age ranged from 4 to 75 years (mean age 39.5 years). Twenty per cent (27 patients) were in the pediatric age group, while 12% (16 patients) were >or= 60-years of age. A definitive histological diagnosis was established in 109 cases (diagnostic yield 80.2%), which encompassed 101 neoplastic and eight nonneoplastic lesions. Frame-based, frameless stereotactic and ultrasound-guided biopsies were done in 95, 15 and 20 patients respectively. Although the numbers of cases were small there was trend for better yield with frameless image-guided stereotactic biopsy and maximum diagnostic yield was obtained i.e, 87% (13/15) in comparison to conventional frame-based CT-guided stereotactic biopsy and ultrasound-guided biopsy. Overall, a trend of higher diagnostic yield was seen in cases with frameless image-guided stereotactic biopsy. Thus, this small series confirms that frameless neuronavigator-guided stereotactic procedures represent the lesion sufficiently in order to make histopathologic diagnosis.

Perception of radiation awareness among patients in Karnataka - a qualitative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sukumar, Suresh; Kotian, Rahul P.; Rajagopal, K.V.

2013-01-01

Increasing concern has recently been expressed in the literature that the patients undergoing diagnostic Computer Tomography imaging and X-ray examinations have inadequate knowledge and awareness about radiation. The frequent use of Computed tomography and routine X-ray examinations for unnecessary indications is the most vital cause of increase in medical radiation exposure. Dose reduction techniques and radiation protection measures is a topic of public concern in which government should play a very important role. Radiologists and patients undergoing any radiological procedure involving ionizing radiation are becoming highly sensitized to the issue of radiation exposure from these diagnostic procedures. The attitudes and perceptions of these patients undergoing diagnostic imaging procedures that use ionizing radiation vary widely. Patients perception about radiation awareness strongly influence their consent or acceptance of any diagnostic imaging procedure. In this study we review the perceptions of radiation risk by laypersons i.e patients who have very little knowledge and awareness about the diagnostic procedure and X-ray examination for which they have been referred. Although the benefit vs risk ratio will outweigh the radiation risk involved in these X-ray and CT examinations but the patients awareness about radiation is a major concern in today's society. The purpose of this study is to understand the perception of radiation awareness among patients in the Karnataka population. Very less qualitative research work has been taken up in this field, as a result such study will gain impetus in the near future. The study was carried out in Karnataka. Qualitative case study was conducted based on Non-Probability purposive sampling and in-depth interview was conducted at the Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal among ten patients who were referred for X-ray and CT examinations. An in-depth interview among patients in

Optical fibres for fusion plasma diagnostics systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brichard, B.

2005-01-01

The condition to achieve and maintain the ignition of a thermonuclear fusion plasma ignition calls for the construction of a large scale fusion reactor, namely ITER. This reactor is designed to deliver an average fusion power of 500 MW. The burning of fusion plasma at such high power level will release a tremendous amount of energy in the form of particle fluxes and ionising radiation. This energy release, primarily absorbed by the plasma facing components, can significantly degrade the performances of the plasma diagnostic equipment surrounding the machine. To ensure a correct operation of the Tokamak we need to develop highly radiation-resistance devices. In plasma diagnostic systems, optical fibre is viewed as a convenient tool to transport light from the plasma edge to the diagnostic area. Radiation affects the optical performances of the fibre mainly by the occurrence of radiation-induced absorption and luminescence. Both effects degrade the light signal used for plasma diagnostic. SCK-CEN is currently assessing radiation-resistant glasses for optical fibres and is developing the associated qualification procedure. The main objectives of this study were to increase the lifetime of optical components in high radiation background and to develop a radiation resistance optical fibre capable to operate in the radiation background of ITER

Use of an Online Education Platform to Enhance Patients' Knowledge About Radiation in Diagnostic Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Steele, Joseph R; Jones, A Kyle; Clarke, Ryan K; Shiao, Sue J; Wei, Wei; Shoemaker, Stowe; Parmar, Simrit

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to compare the impact of a digital interactive education platform and standard paper-based education on patients' knowledge regarding ionizing radiation. Beginning in January 2015, patients at a tertiary cancer center scheduled for diagnostic imaging procedures were randomized to receive information about ionizing radiation delivered through a web-based interactive education platform (interactive education group), the same information in document format (document education group), or no specialized education (control group). Patients who completed at least some education and control group patients were invited to complete a knowledge assessment; interactive education patients were invited to provide feedback about satisfaction with their experience. A total of 2,226 patients participated. Surveys were completed by 302 of 745 patients (40.5%) participating in interactive education, 488 of 993 (49.1%) participating in document education, and 363 of 488 (74.4%) in the control group. Patients in the interactive education group were significantly more likely to say that they knew the definition of ionizing radiation, outperformed the other groups in identifying which imaging examinations used ionizing radiation, were significantly more likely to identify from a list which imaging modality had the highest radiation dose, and tended to perform better when asked about the tissue effects of radiation in diagnostic imaging, although this difference was not significant. In the interactive education group, 84% of patients were satisfied with the experience, and 79% said that they would recommend the program. Complex information on a highly technical subject with personal implications for patients may be conveyed more effectively using electronic platforms, and this approach is well accepted. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality control procedure for a general diagnostic x-ray machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Md Saion Salikin; Mazlyfarina Mohamad

2001-01-01

Performance tests of a particular medical diagnostic x-ray machine have to be carried out regularly in order to ensure that the machine always complies with the required standard. A performance report which is prepared based on the performance tests on the x-ray machine is used as one of the requirement by the authority for issuance and renewal licence to operate and use of the x-ray machine in a clinic or hospital. The Ministry of Health will only issue a licence to the clinic or hospital to use and operate x-ray machines, if the machines have complied with the standards. The clinic or hospital may get the service to carry out performance tests on a diagnostic x-ray machine from any licence H holder, issued by the authority under Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984. A comparative study between the standard procedure and other procedures on performance test of a general diagnostic x-ray machine is carried out and presented in brief in this paper. The criteria for compliance or otherwise as required by the Ministry of Health Malaysia is discussed and explained in brief. (Author)

Updating Allergy and/or Hypersensitivity Diagnostic Procedures in the WHO ICD-11 Revision.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanno, Luciana Kase; Calderon, Moises A; Li, James; Casale, Thomas; Demoly, Pascal

2016-01-01

The classification of allergy and/or hypersensitivity conditions for the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11 provides the appropriate corresponding codes for allergic diseases, assuming that the final diagnosis is correct. This classification should be linked to in vitro and in vivo diagnostic procedures. Considering the impact for our specialty, we decided to review the codification of these procedures into the ICD aiming to have a baseline and to suggest changes and/or submit new proposals. For that, we prepared a list of the relevant allergy and/or hypersensitivity diagnostic procedures that health care professionals are dealing with on a daily basis. This was based on the main current guidelines and selected all possible and relevant corresponding terms from the ICD-10 (2015 version) and the ICD-11 β phase foundation (June 2015 version). More than 90% of very specific and important diagnostic procedures currently used by the allergists' community on a daily basis are missing. We observed that some concepts usually used by the allergist community on a daily basis are not fully recognized by other specialties. The whole scheme and the correspondence in the ICD-10 (2015 version) and ICD-11 foundation (June 2015 version) provided us a big picture of the missing or imprecise terms and how they are scattered in the current ICD-11 framework, allowing us to submit new proposals to increase the visibility of the allergy and/or hypersensitivity conditions and diagnostic procedures. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. All rights reserved.

Practical X-ray diagnostics orthopedics and trauma surgery. Indication, adjustment technique and radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flechtenmacher, Johannes; Sabo, Desiderius

2014-01-01

The book on X-ray diagnostics in orthopedics and trauma surgery includes the following chapters: 1. Introduction: radiation protection, equipment technology radiological diagnostics of skeleton carcinomas, specific aspects of trauma surgery, special aspects of skeleton radiology for children. 2. X-ray diagnostics of different anatomical regions: ankle joint, knee, hips and pelvis, hand and wrist joint, elbow, shoulder, spinal cord. 3. Appendix: radiation protection according to the X-ray regulations.

Radiation exposure during cardiac catheterization procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kicken, P.J.H.; Huyskens, C.J.; Michels, H.R.

1988-01-01

For some time there has been an increased interest in more information about radiation exposure during cardiac catheterization because of: relatively high doses to workers and patient; rapid increase of numbers of examinations; introduction of new procedure-types (e.g. Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angiography, PTCA) and introduction of new techniques (e.g. Digital Subtraction Angiography, DSA). This paper reports about a study on the exposure to medical personnel and patient in two major hospitals in the Netherlands. The Total number of cardiac catheterization procedures in both hospitals amounts to circa 3000 per year (approximately 10% of all cardiac procedures c.q. 20% of all PTCA procedures in the Netherlands). This study is related to 1300 cardiac examinations

Sphincter-saving procedure for radiation-injuried rectum. A report of four cases with special reference to pull-through procedure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moriya, Y.; Koyama, Y.; Hojo, K. (National Cancer Center, Tokyo (Japan))

1982-09-01

Up to this time the sigmoid colostomy has been widely accepted and conventional treatment for radiation-injured rectum, but patients without residual malignancy strongly desire to live without colostomy. We have tried to remove the involved rectal segments by sphincter-saving procedures. Four patients underwent these procedures, pull-through procedure in three and low anterior resection in one. Among sphincter-saving procedures, pull-through procedure was most adequate. Provided the following five conditions are fulfilled, pull-through procedure should be considered for severe radiation-injured rectum. (1) No recurrence of initial malignancy in the pelvis. (2) More than 2 cm intact rectal segment above dentate line may be preserved. (3) No radiation-injured segment in upper sigmoid. (4) No severe radiation damage in small intestine. (5) Patients under 70 year-old, with normal tonus of anal sphincter.

Biomarkers of exposition to ionizing radiation and hematology parameters in fitness for work. Case Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djokovic, J.; Milacic, S.; Rakic, B.; Pajic, J.; Petrovic, D.; Vuckovic, J.

2009-01-01

Ionizing radiation is frequently used in medicine, especially during diagnostic procedures. The workers who are exposed to radiation have obligation for periodic check up. Presented case shows changes in hematological parameters and biomarkers of exposition to ionizing radiation (chromosome aberrations, structural changes and micronucleus test). The aim of this case report is to indicate metodology of diagnostic procedures for chronicle radiation syndrome. (author) [sr

Quality Control in Diagnostic Radiology in the Netherlands (invited paper)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoetelief, J.

1998-01-01

Application of the general principles of radiation protection to medical diagnostic radiology implies that each procedure using X rays or radionuclides is to be justified and optimised. Optimisation in diagnostic radiology implies that the radiation burden to the patient should be as low as possible, but compatible with the image quality necessary to obtain an adequate diagnosis or to guide treatment. Quality control of equipment is a prerequisite for achieving optimisation in diagnostic radiology. This was especially recognised for mammography as employed for breast cancer screening. Existing legislation in the Netherlands includes only a few criteria for equipment used in diagnostic radiology. In addition, the criteria are not all operational and measurement methods are lacking. Therefore, upon the initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, the relevant professional societies, in collaboration with the former TNO Centre for Radiological Protection and Dosimetry, formulated eleven guidelines for quality control of equipment used in diagnostic radiology, including test procedures, test frequencies and limiting values. The implementation of quality control of equipment was included in the 1984 European Directive (84/466/Euratom) laying down basic measures for the radiation protection of persons undergoing medical examination or treatment. In the most recent European Directive on medical exposure (97/43/Euratom) the importance of quality control is stressed. In addition, the latter EC directive proposes the use of diagnostic reference levels for limiting the risks for patients undergoing diagnostic radiology. In the Netherlands preliminary reference levels for various procedures employed in diagnostic radiology are suggested. Finally, methods applied in the Netherlands for assessment of image quality are discussed. (author)

Diagnostic Medical Imaging in Pediatric Patients and Subsequent Cancer Risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulvihill, David J; Jhawar, Sachin; Kostis, John B; Goyal, Sharad

2017-11-01

The use of diagnostic medical imaging is becoming increasingly more commonplace in the pediatric setting. However, many medical imaging modalities expose pediatric patients to ionizing radiation, which has been shown to increase the risk of cancer development in later life. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the available data regarding the risk of cancer development following exposure to ionizing radiation from diagnostic medical imaging. Attention is paid to modalities such as computed tomography scans and fluoroscopic procedures that can expose children to radiation doses orders of magnitude higher than standard diagnostic x-rays. Ongoing studies that seek to more precisely determine the relationship of diagnostic medical radiation in children and subsequent cancer development are discussed, as well as modern strategies to better quantify this risk. Finally, as cardiovascular imaging and intervention contribute substantially to medical radiation exposure, we discuss strategies to enhance radiation safety in these areas. Copyright © 2017 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Static dosimetry space image in which urology diagnostics are performed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banduka, M.S.; Vasic, D.D.

2002-01-01

Background. The effects of the dispersed radiation described theoretically imply complex picture of interaction of the photon beam with the patient's body, as well as its dispersion on other structures. Basic theoretical laws of this phenomenon are highlighted, thus giving the opportunity to model the effect in total. Material and methods. The measurements of the absorbed dose in the air give isodose curves that show distribution of the radiation dose. For the urological procedures standard urological diagnostic methods were being used. Results. Through a large series of measuring, we got the distribution of the radiation dose in space, where urology diagnostics is being made using the X-ray. The parameters determining this picture are the most frequent ones in the total number of 20 random cases taken in General Hospital in Doboj, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Conclusions. Static dosimetric picture of the space (radiation zone) in the general sense is useful before all for organisation of the diagnostic procedures utilising ionised radiation. Obtained in any way, this picture enables an insight into the three-dimensional distribution of the dosage on the basis of which it is possible to correct the organisation of the diagnostics being performed under these conditions. The values of the radiation dosage show it is necessary to use the protecting means prescribed by law. For more frequent exposure, it would be useful to make a dynamic dosimetric picture for professional exposure and assessment of the radiation risk of these persons. (author)

Evaluation of diagnostic procedures in nuclear medicine services of Pernambuco and Alagoas states - Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Ricardo Braz F. da; Hazin, Clovis A.

2011-01-01

The medical use of ionizing radiation contributes significantly to population exposure to radiation. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic procedures carried out in nuclear medicine (SMN) in Pernambuco and Alagoas in order to gather data to subsidize the proposal of reference levels for nuclear medicine in Brazil. Data were collected of the SMN in Pernambuco and Alagoas in the period of 2005 to 2009, according by UNSCEAR. The study used data from IBGE. The results showed that the total number of examinations in the period 2005 to 2009 was 34.828 in Pernambuco and 27.700 in Alagoas, corresponding to 6.966 and 5.540 average annual examinations in Pernambuco and Alagoas, respectively. The total number of examinations performed in both states in 2009 was twice the number carried out in 2005. Scintigraphy is the cardiovascular examination most performed in both states, followed by bone scintigraphy. Tc-99m is the radionuclide used most often, followed by I-131. The number of tests using Tc-99m in 2009 doubled when compared with the examinations performed in 2005. The results indicate that there has been a significant increase in the number of examinations in MN, and that females outnumber males, as far as the use of this diagnostic resource is concerned. The study of the activities of the radionuclides administered to patients in the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas showed that they are high when compared to the values recommended by the IAEA in its Safety Report Series Document No. 40. (author)

A REVIEW OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF RADIATION PROTECTION WHEN APPLIED TO THE PATIENT IN DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY.

Science.gov (United States)

Moores, B Michael

2017-06-01

A review of the role and relevance of the principles of radiation protection of the patient in diagnostic radiology as specified by ICRP has been undertaken when diagnostic risks arising from an examination are taken into account. The increase in population doses arising from diagnostic radiology over the past 20 years has been due to the widespread application of higher dose CT examinations that provide significantly more clinical information. Consequently, diagnostic risks as well as radiation risks need to be considered within the patient radiation protection framework. Justification and optimisation are discussed and the limitations imposed on patient protection by employing only a radiation risk framework is highlighted. The example of radiation protection of the patient in breast screening programmes employing mammography is used to highlight the importance of defined diagnostic outcomes in any effective radiation protection strategy. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Evaluation of occupational radiation exposure in cardiology interventional procedures in some Khartoum hospitals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, Doaa Mohammed Ali

2015-12-01

The number of cardiology interventional procedures has significantly increased recently. This is due to the reliability of the diagnostic equipment to diagnose many heart diseases. In the procedures the x-ray used results in increasing radiation doses to the staff. The cardiologists and other staff member in interventional cardiology are usually working close to the area under examination and receive the dose primarily as well as from scattered radiation from the patients. In this study three electronic personal dosimeters (EPDs) were used to measured personal equivalent dose Hp (10) for assessment staff doses were monitoring during interventional cardiology procedure, totally in (100) procedures were performed in two clinical. The procedures was collect in two main hospitals in Khartoum State, the staff workers include cardiologists, technologists and nurses. The EPDs were used by each worker at the two cardiology centers, was one worn under a protective apron attach to chest. The annual doses received by 6 cardiologists, 6 nurses and 2 technologists at the sudan heart center were tn the range: (27.25-33.5) μSv, (3.25-3.66) μSv, (3.25-3.66) μSv, (3.23 and 3.70) μSv respectively. In the royal care hospital the annual doses received by 2 doctors, 4 nurses and 2 technologists were in the range ( 38.375 and 39.375) μSv (12.06-14.125) μSv, (8.5 and 9.25) μSv respectively, estimated for four weeks. The highest doses were received by the cardiologist followed by nurses and the x-ray technicians. The results showed that the annual doses received by the workers do not exceed 20 mSv. Recommendation on how to reduce staff doses in interventional cardiology are presented.(Author)

Diagnostic criteria and reporting procedures for pre-eclampsia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klemmensen, Ase K; Olsen, Sjurdur F.; Wengel, Christina M

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE: A precondition for the rational use of obstetric databases in biomedical research is detailed knowledge on how data are being generated. We identified the diagnostic procedures and criteria for pre-eclampsia (PE) and assessed the level of obstetric training of the personnel responsible...... of pregnancy diagnoses to the National Patient Registry differed widely in training. For complicated pregnancies, departments ranged from having only specialists reporting all cases to secretaries reporting up to 50%. Cut off limits of blood pressure (BP) and protein loss used to diagnose pre-eclampsia showed...... large differences across departments. The diagnoses given to three case stories showed little correlation to the criteria the departments reported using. CONCLUSION: Even in a small country like Denmark with 34 obstetrical departments, there was little consensus on the diagnostic criteria for pre-eclampsia...

Radiation exposure and image quality in x-Ray diagnostic radiology physical principles and clinical applications

CERN Document Server

Aichinger, Horst; Joite-Barfuß, Sigrid; Säbel, Manfred

2012-01-01

The largest contribution to radiation exposure to the population as a whole arises from diagnostic X-rays. Protecting the patient from radiation is a major aim of modern health policy, and an understanding of the relationship between radiation dose and image quality is of pivotal importance in optimising medical diagnostic radiology. In this volume the data provided for exploring these concerns are partly based on X-ray spectra, measured on diagnostic X-ray tube assemblies, and are supplemented by the results of measurements on phantoms and simulation calculations.

Clinical dosimetry in diagnostic and interventional radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimcheva, M.; Sergieva, S.; Jovanovska, A.

2012-01-01

Full text: Introduction: Diagnostic and interventional procedures involving x-rays are the most significant contributor to total population dose form man made sources of ionizing radiation. Purpose and aim: X-ray imaging generally covers a diverse range of examination types, many of which are increasing in frequency and technical complexity. Materials and methods: The European Directives 96/29 and 97/43 EURATOM stress the importance of accurate dosimetry and require calibration of all measuring equipment related to application of ionizing radiation in medicine. Results: The paper gives and overview of current system of dosimetry of ionizing radiations that is relevant for metrology and clinical applications. It also reflects recently achieved international harmonization in the field promoted by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Discussion: Objectives of clinical dose measurements in diagnostic and interventional radiology are multiple, as assessment of equipment performance, or assessment of risk emerging from use of ionizing radiation Conclusion: Therefore, from the clinical point of view, the requirements for dosimeters and procedures to assess dose to standard dosimetry phantoms and patients in clinical diverse modalities, as computed tomography are presented

Radiation exposure from diagnostic imaging among patients with gastrointestinal disorders.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Desmond, Alan N

2012-03-01

There are concerns about levels of radiation exposure among patients who undergo diagnostic imaging for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), compared with other gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. We quantified imaging studies and estimated the cumulative effective dose (CED) of radiation received by patients with organic and functional GI disorders. We also identified factors and diagnoses associated with high CEDs.

Evaluation of medical radiation exposure in pediatric interventional radiology procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Navarro, Valeria Coelho Costa; Navarro, Marcus Vinicius Teixeira; Oliveira, Aline da Silva Pacheco, E-mail: vccnavarro@gmail.com [Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia da Bahia (IFBA), Salvador, BA (Brazil); Maia, Ana Figueiredo [Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS), Aracaju, SE (Brazil); Oliveira, Adriano Dias Dourado [Sociedade Brasileira de Hemodinamica e Cardiologia Intervencionista, Salvador, BA (Brazil)

2012-07-15

Objective: To evaluate pediatric radiation exposure in procedures of interventional radiology in two hospitals in the Bahia state, aiming at contributing to delineate the scenario at the state and national levels. The knowledge of exposure levels will allow an evaluation of the necessity of doses optimization, considering that peculiarities of radiology and pediatrics become even more significant in interventional radiology procedures which involve exposure to higher radiation doses. Materials and Methods: A total of 32 procedures were evaluated in four rooms of the two main hospitals performing pediatric interventional radiology procedures in the Bahia state. Air kerma rate and kerma-area product were evaluated in 27 interventional cardiac and 5 interventional brain procedures. Results: Maximum values for air kerma rate and kerma-area product and air kerma obtained in cardiac procedures were, respectively, 129.9 Gy.cm{sup 2} and 947.0 mGy; and, for brain procedures were 83.3 Gy.cm{sup 2} and 961.0 mGy. Conclusion: The present study results showed exposure values up to 14 times higher than those found in other foreign studies, and approximating those found for procedures in adults. Such results demonstrate excessive exposure to radiation, indicating the need for constant procedures optimization and evaluation of exposure rates. (author)

The effectiveness of drama therapy on preparation for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in children suffering from cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ľubica Ilievová

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The integral part of the treatment of pediatric oncological patients is a range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. These procedures are often associated with the fear and anxiety of the suffering child. We investigated whether a psychological preparation through drama therapy and the therapeutic puppet may reduce the anxiety related to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in the preschool or early school children suffering from cancer.Methods: Twenty consecutive pediatric patients of preschool and early school age, with the diagnosis of lymphoblastic leukemia, were included in the study. The patients were alternatingly assigned to experimental or control group, and subjected or not subjected to drama therapy, respectively. We measured the changes in heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate as indicators of anxiety and fear, before and after the diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.Results: Heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate in pediatric oncological patients before and after the diagnostic or therapeutic procedure were significantly lower in the experimental group of patients.Conclusion: Our results show that psychological preparation using drama therapy and therapeutic puppet reduced the fear and anxiety related to diagnostic or therapeutic procedures in pediatric oncological patients.Key words: drama therapy; therapeutic puppet; children; oncology; psychology 

Avoidance of radiation injuries from medical interventional procedures, ICRP Publication 85

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valentin, J

2000-06-01

Interventional radiology (fluoroscopically-guided) techniques are being used by an increasing number of clinicians not adequately trained in radiation safety or radiobiology. Many of these interventionists are not aware of the potential for injury from these procedures or the simple methods for decreasing their incidence. Many patients are not being counselled on the radiation risks, nor followed up when radiation doses from difficult procedures may lead to injury. Some patients are suffering radiation-induced skin injuries and younger patients may face an increased risk of future cancer. Interventionists are having their practice limited or suffering injury, and are exposing their staff to high doses. In some interventional procedures, skin doses to patients approach those experienced in some cancer radiotherapy fractions. Radiation-induced skin injuries are occurring in patients due to the use of inappropriate equipment and, more often, poor operational technique. Injuries to physicians and staff performing interventional procedures have also been observed. Acute radiation doses (to patients) may cause erythema at 2 Gy, cataract at 2 Gy, permanent epilation at 7 Gy, and delayed skin necrosis at 12 Gy. Protracted (occupational) exposures to the eye may cause cataract at 4 Gy if the dose is received in less than 3 months, at 5.5 Gy if received over a period exceeding 3 months. Practical actions to control dose to the patient and to the staff are listed. The absorbed dose to the patient in the area of skin that receives the maximum dose is of priority concern. Each local clinical protocol should include, for each type of interventional procedure, a statement on the cumulative skin doses and skin sites associated with the various parts of the procedure. Interventionists should be trained to use information on skin dose and on practical techniques to control dose. Maximum cumulative absorbed doses that appear to approach or exceed 1 Gy (for procedures that may be

Avoidance of radiation injuries from medical interventional procedures, ICRP Publication 85

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valentin, J.

2000-01-01

Interventional radiology (fluoroscopically-guided) techniques are being used by an increasing number of clinicians not adequately trained in radiation safety or radiobiology. Many of these interventionists are not aware of the potential for injury from these procedures or the simple methods for decreasing their incidence. Many patients are not being counselled on the radiation risks, nor followed up when radiation doses from difficult procedures may lead to injury. Some patients are suffering radiation-induced skin injuries and younger patients may face an increased risk of future cancer. Interventionists are having their practice limited or suffering injury, and are exposing their staff to high doses. In some interventional procedures, skin doses to patients approach those experienced in some cancer radiotherapy fractions. Radiation-induced skin injuries are occurring in patients due to the use of inappropriate equipment and, more often, poor operational technique. Injuries to physicians and staff performing interventional procedures have also been observed. Acute radiation doses (to patients) may cause erythema at 2 Gy, cataract at 2 Gy, permanent epilation at 7 Gy, and delayed skin necrosis at 12 Gy. Protracted (occupational) exposures to the eye may cause cataract at 4 Gy if the dose is received in less than 3 months, at 5.5 Gy if received over a period exceeding 3 months. Practical actions to control dose to the patient and to the staff are listed. The absorbed dose to the patient in the area of skin that receives the maximum dose is of priority concern. Each local clinical protocol should include, for each type of interventional procedure, a statement on the cumulative skin doses and skin sites associated with the various parts of the procedure. Interventionists should be trained to use information on skin dose and on practical techniques to control dose. Maximum cumulative absorbed doses that appear to approach or exceed 1 Gy (for procedures that may be

Trends of radiation dose to the Slovak population from diagnostic nuclear medicine examinations during the period from 1985 to 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ftacnikova, S.; Ragan, P.

1998-01-01

A mathematical formalism was used to evaluate the radiation dose to population from radiodiagnostic procedures. Data for the calculation were obtained from questionnaires sent to the 12 Slovak hospitals which involve nuclear medicine departments. The mean effective dose for a procedure was determined by multiplying the administered radioactivity by the effective dose per unit of applied radiopharmaceutical activity; the latter value was taken from the literature. The values of the collective effective dose, total number of examinations, mean effective dose per examination and per capita and the number of examinations in 1000 inhabitants are tabulated for the 1985-1995 period. A favorable decreasing trend in the mean effective dose per examination after 1991 was observed. This was mainly due to the replacement of 131 I labelled compounds by 99m Tc radiopharmaceuticals. An overview of nuclear medicine diagnostic practice for pediatric and adult patients is also presented. The number of diagnostic procedures per 1000 inhabitants is significantly lower than in the most developed countries, and this unfavorable trend is continuing so far. (P.A.)

Simulation-based education leads to decreased use of fluoroscopy in diagnostic coronary angiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Prenner, Stuart B; Wayne, Diane B; Sweis, Ranya N; Cohen, Elaine R; Feinglass, Joe M; Schimmel, Daniel R

2017-08-02

The aim of this study is to determine whether simulation-based education (SBE) translates into reduced procedure time, radiation, and contrast use in actual clinical care. As a high volume procedure often performed by novice cardiology fellows, diagnostic coronary angiography represents an excellent target for SBE. Reports of SBE in interventional cardiology are limited and there is little understanding of the potential downstream clinical impact of these interventions. All diagnostic coronary angiograms performed at a single center between January 1, 2011 and June 30, 2015 were analyzed. Random effects linear regression models were used to compare outcomes between procedures performed by 12 cardiology fellows who underwent simulation-based training and those performed by 20 traditionally trained fellows. Thirty-two cardiology fellows performed 2,783 diagnostic coronary angiograms. Procedures performed by fellows trained with SBE were shorter (mean of 23.98 min vs. 24.94 min, P = 0.034) and were performed with decreased radiation (mean of 56,348 mGycm 2 vs. 66,120 mGycm 2 , P < 0.001). After controlling for year in training, procedure year, access site, and supervising attending physician, training on the simulator was independently associated with 117 fewer seconds of fluoroscopy time per procedure (P = 0.04). Diagnostic coronary angiography SBE is associated with decreased use of fluoroscopy in downstream clinical care. SBE may be a useful tool to reduce radiation exposure in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Radiation exposure in nucleomedical examinations of children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hahn, K.; Hach, A.; Reber, H.

1995-01-01

The problem of radiation exposure must be subjected to particularly careful scrutiny in nuclear diagnostic procedures in children. The contribution provides a survey of factors influencing the radiation exposure of children in the diagnostic use of radionuclides. These include the age of the child examined, the type of radiopharmaceutical used, the dose of the radiopharmaceutical and the procedure followed. Any state-of-the-art renal function study or skeletal examination using radionuclides requires previous measures to ensure that the child is sufficiently hydrated. The tables in the appendix provide estimations of the doses from the individual nucleomedical procedures used in paediatrics. (orig./MG) [de

Ionizing radiation used in medical diagnostics as a source of radiation exposure of the patient with occupational diseases. Analysis and problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apostolova, D.B.; Paskalev, Z.D.

2001-01-01

X-rays in medical diagnostic are the major source of Bulgarian population exposure to ionizing radiations. Diagnostic X-ray is the most diagnostic application and is used in a wide variety of examinations. The modern concept for radiation protection of patients in diagnostic radiology is based on two main principles: justification of the examinations and radiation protection optimization. It is pointed out that the collective effective dose of radiation may be considerably reduced by decreasing the number of clinically unwarranted X-ray examination of storage and delivery of diagnostic information and adopting a system for physical and technical quality control of the X-ray equipment. The aim of this investigation is assessment of the collective effective doses for the patients with occupational diseases exposed to ionizing radiation by radiological diagnostics. The study covers the period of 1990 through 1999. A total of 3293 patients, treated in the Department of Occupational Toxicology, Clinic of Occupational Diseases, Medical University - Sofia, were examined with X-ray and KT (cervical and lumbar spine, chest, skull, stomach, extremities, pelvis, brain). Most of the observed patients were with predominantlyheavy metals poisonings and a few with other chemical agents poisonings. Number of patients with radiological examinations was 1938, number of examination per capita was 0,59 and the total number of radiological examinations was 2536. The average number of radiological examination for one patient was 1,36, the most number of radiological examinations for one patient was 4. The collective effective dose for an examined patient was 1803 man.mSv. Our results shown the essential of the raising ensure that the medical exposure of patients be the minimum necessary to achieve the required diagnostic objective. (author)

Quality control in diagnostic radiology - patient dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prlic, I; Radalj, Z; Brumen, V; Cerovac, H [Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Laboratory for Radiation Protection and Dosimetry, Zagreb (Croatia); Gladic, J [Institute for Physics, Laboratory for Solid State Physics, Zagreb (Croatia); Tercek, V [Clinical Hospital Sisters of Mercy, Health Physics Department, Zagreb (Croatia)

1997-12-31

In order to establish the Quality Criteria for diagnostic radiographic images in the radiology departments in Republic of Croatia we have started the several Quality Control projects on the field. The measurements are performed according to some methodology recommendations in our law but the methodology, measurement principles, measurement equipment, phantoms, measurable parameters for the good use by radiographers, statistical and numerical evaluation, dosimetric philosophy etc. where first recognized as a private/or group hazard of each person involved in the procedure of evaluation of diagnostic radiology images/diagnosis. The important quality elements of the imaging process are: the diagnostic quality of the radiographic image, the radiation dose to the patient and the choice of the radiographic technique. This depends on the x-ray unit (tube) radiation quality, image processing quality and final image evaluation quality. In this paper we will show how the Quality Control measurements can be easily connected to the dose delivered to the patient for the known diagnostic procedure and how this can be used by radiographers in their daily work. The reproducibility of the x-ray generator was checked before the service calibration and after the service calibration. The table of kV dependence and output dose per mAs was calculated and the ESD (entrance surface dose) was measured/calculated for the specific diagnostic procedure. After the phantom calculation were made and the dose prediction for the given procedure was done, measurements were done on the patients (digital dosemeters, TLD and film dosemeter combinations). We are claiming that there is no need to measure each patient if the proper Quality Control measurements are done and the proper table of ESD for each particular x-ray tube in diagnostic departments is calculated for the radiographers daily use. (author). 1 example, 1 fig., 13 refs.

Gonad shielding in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-06-01

The use of gonad shielding is an important radiation protection technique, intended to reduce unnecessary x-ray exposure of the gonads of patients from diagnostic x-ray procedures. This pamphlet will provide physicians and radiologic technologists with information which will aid their appropriate use of gonad shielding

A new non intercepting beam size diagnostics using diffraction radiation from a Slit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castellano, M.

1996-09-01

A new non interpreting beam size diagnostic for high charge electron beams is presented. This diagnostics is based on the analysis of the angular distribution of the 'diffracted' transition radiation emitted by the beam when crossing a slit cut in metallic foil. It allows a resolution better then the radiation transverse formation zone. Numerical results based on the parameters of the TTF FEL beam are given as example

Development of a magnetic diagnostic suitable for the ITER radiation environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreau, P.; Le-Luyer, A.; Malard, P.; Pastor, P.; Fournier, Y.; Lister, J. B.; Moret, J. M.; Testa, D.; Toussaint, M.; Chitarin, G.; Delogu, R.; Galo, A.; Peruzzo, S.; Romero, J.; Vila, R.; Brichard, B.; Bolshakova, I.; Duran, I.; Encheva, A.; Vayakis, G.

2009-01-01

Magnetic diagnostics of the ITER tokamak must fulfill demanding specifications, because their accuracy and reliability affects margins to the machine engineering limits and therefore operational flexibility. This paper describes the challenging issues related to the implementation of the magnetic diagnostics in a tokamak environment. We focus on nuclear radiations as they can significantly affect the measurement through Radiation Induced Electromotive Force (RIEMF) or Thermally Induced Electromotive Force (TIEMF). Thermal modeling of magnetic sensors and associated design studies are also reported as the thermal gradient in the sensors must be reduced to avoid TIEMF. Alternative magnetic sensors such as fiber optic current sensors (FOCS) or steady state magnetic field sensors are also discussed because they serve as a backup to the usual inductive magnetic measurements. We conclude by a brief review of the development needs for magnetic diagnostics. (authors)

The impact of education on occupational radiation exposure reduction in a diagnostic radiology department

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vetter, R.J.; Gray, J.E.

1987-01-01

Patient load, number of radiographic exams, complexity of some exams, and associated potential occupational radiation exposure of medical personnel have increased significantly in the past decade. Efforts to reduce exposure through employee education and awareness have resulted in significant reduction in occupational exposure for most diagnostic radiographic areas at Mayo Clinic. This paper reviews trends in occupational radiation exposure from diagnostic x- rays at Mayo Clinic over the past ten years. Changes in employee radiation dose equivalents are correlated with patient workload, complexity of exams, increased interventional radiology and cardiology, and efforts to reduce employee radiation exposure

SU-F-I-77: Radiation Dose in Cardiac Catheterization Procedures: Impact of a Systematic Reduction in Pulsed Fluoroscopy Frame Rate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schultz, C; Dixon, S [Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To evaluate whether one small systematic reduction in fluoroscopy frame rate has a significant effect on the total air kerma and/or dose area product for diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization procedures. Methods: The default fluoroscopy frame rate (FFR) was lowered from 15 to 10 fps in 5 Siemens™ Axiom Artis cardiac catheterization labs (CCL) on July 1, 2013. A total of 7212 consecutive diagnostic and interventional CCL procedures were divided into two study groups: 3602 procedures from 10/1/12 –6/30/13 with FFR of 15 fps; and 3610 procedures 7/1/13 – 3/31/14 at 10 fps. For each procedure, total air kerma (TAK), fluoroscopy skin dose (FSD), total/fluoroscopy dose area products (TAD, FAD), and total fluoroscopy time (FT) were recorded. Patient specific data collected for each procedure included: BSA, sex, height, weight, interventional versus diagnostic; and elective versus emergent. Results: For pre to post change in FFR, each categorical variable was compared using Pearson’s Chi-square test, Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. No statistically significant difference in BSA, height, weight, number of interventional versus diagnostic, elective versus emergent procedures was found between the two study groups. Decreasing the default FFR from 15 fps to 10 fps in the two study groups significantly reduced TAK from 1305 to 1061 mGy (p<0.0001), FSD from 627 to 454 mGy (p<0.0001), TAD from 8681 to 6991 uGy × m{sup 2}(p<0.0001), and FAD from 4493 to 3297 uGy × m{sup 2}(p<0.0001). No statistically significant difference in FT was noted. Clinical image quality was not analyzed, and reports of noticeable effects were minimal. From July 1, 2013 to date, the default FFR has remained 10 fps. Conclusion: Reducing the FFR from 15 to 10 fps significantly reduced total air kerma and dose area product which may decrease risk for potential radiation-induced skin injuries and improve patient outcomes.

Efficacy of clinical diagnostic procedures utilized in nuclear medicine. Nine month progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1978-01-01

This study is designed to determine the efficacy of nuclear medicine procedures in clinical practice. Several methods of determining efficacy will be evaluated to determine those most suitable. Nuclear medicine methods will be confined to the study of lung diseases by pulmonary perfusion and ventilation. In addition to evaluating the above methods data will be obtained to determine the sensitivity, specificity, predictive value and efficiency of the test under consideration. These values, corrected for prevalence of the disease processes under consideration will then be compared to the values obtained by the MACRO and MICRO methods and will help to bound the clinical reliability of the diagnostic method depending on the degree to which the several methods trend together. Depending on the practicality of these two methods, in addition to the determination of efficacy, cost effectiveness factors and benefit-risk estimates which are used to apply to radiation effects will be determined for nuclear medicine studies of the brain, bone, heart, liver and thyroid subsequently. The measurement techniques will then be utilized to establish guidelines for the most useful applications of the given procedure so that clinicians will be able to obtain a pretest estimate of the utility of the nuclear medicine test.

Evaluation of the radiation levels in different surgical procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva Santos, M.C.P. da; Almeida, A. de; Belluci, A.D.; Ghilardi Neto, T.

1989-01-01

The exposure of a medical team to radiation during surgical procedures evidently depends on the duration and difficulties of the particular procedure. We have made a dosimetric study of the average equivalent doses received by the surgical teams during 10 different surgical procedures over a period of one month. Our results demonstrate that the levels of ionizing radiation that the members of the teams receive typically do not surpass the limits stipulated for the following surgical procedures: nefrolithotomy, percutaneous ureterolithomy, ureteroscoy connected with removal of stones in the inferior third of the ureter, osteosynthesis of the tibial plateau together with a articular toalet and minireconstruction of the knee. For compound surgical procedures, for example, osteosynthesis of a femur fracture together with biopsy of an exposed femur or percutaneous nefrolithotomy (complex cases), the dose limits have been surpassed owing to the additional fluoroscopy needed in those p rocedures. (author) [pt

The current uses of radiation in medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shrimpton, P.C.

2001-01-01

Ionizing radiation is firmly established as an essential tool for diagnosis and therapy in medicine, although patterns of use vary widely around the world. Diagnostic examinations are conducted mainly with X rays (diagnostic radiology) and less commonly by administering radiopharmaceuticals to patients (nuclear medicine). Radiotherapy is mostly carried out using external beams of radiation (teletherapy), although some patients receive direct applications of sealed radionuclide sources (brachytherapy) or therapeutic administrations of radiopharmaceuticals. Global data from the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation indicate an annual total of about 2500 million diagnostic radiological examinations in 1996: 78% involving medical X rays (at a mean rate of 330 per 1000 world population), 21% involving dental X rays (mean rate 90 per 1000) and only 1% involving nuclear medicine (mean rate 5.6 per 1000). Over 90% of the estimated annual total of about 5.5 million complete courses of radiation treatment are conducted by teletherapy or brachytherapy, with mean rates of 0.8 and 0.07 per 1000 world population, respectively; radiopharmaceuticals are used in only 7% of all treatments (mean rate 0.065 per 1000). Over three quarters of all diagnostic procedures and over half of all treatments occur in developed countries, which collectively represent only one quarter of the world population. The general global trend is for increasing numbers of procedures. The paper discusses the current uses of radiation in medicine, including diagnostic radiology, diagnostic nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. (author)

Evaluation of doses from radiodiagnostic procedures performed in veterinary medicine and assessing of the doses of secondary radiation in the medical staff and animal owners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veneziani, Glauco Rogerio

2012-01-01

The primary goal in veterinary radiography is to produce radiographs of diagnostic quality on the first attempt. This goal serves three purposes: (1) to decrease radiation exposure to the patient and veterinary personnel; (2) to decrease the cost of the study for the client; and (3) to produce diagnostic data for rapid interpretation and treatment of the patient. This work aimed to determine the doses in dogs submitted to chest and abdomen X rays using the technique of thermoluminescence (TL) dosimetry. The radiation doses were assessed using thermoluminescent dosimeters of calcium sulphate doped with dysprosium (CaSO 4 :Dy) and lithium fluoride doped with magnesium and titanium (LiF:Mg,Ti). The obtained results indicate that is extremely important the assessment of radiation doses involved in veterinary diagnostic radiology procedures, to evaluate the delivered doses to the animals, to be used as a parameter in the individual monitoring of pet's owners, who assist the animal positioning, and to protect occupationally exposed workers at the Veterinary Radiology Clinics. (author)

Radiation doses by radiation diagnostics at the border of a hospital. Calculation model for Nuclear Energy Law regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shapiro, B.; Thijssen, T.; De Jong, R.

2000-01-01

According to the Nuclear Energy Law in the Netherlands radiation doses at the border of a specific institute (e.g. hospitals) must be determined which can not simply be done by measurements. In this article a model calculation for radiation diagnostics is described

Efficacy of a radiation safety education initiative in reducing radiation exposure in the pediatric IR suite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheyn, David D.; Racadio, John M.; Patel, Manish N.; Racadio, Judy M.; Johnson, Neil D.; Ying, Jun

2008-01-01

The use of ionizing radiation is essential for diagnostic and therapeutic imaging in the interventional radiology (IR) suite. As the complexity of procedures increases, radiation exposure risk increases. We believed that reinforcing staff education and awareness would help optimize radiation safety. To evaluate the effect of a radiation safety education initiative on IR staff radiation safety practices and patient radiation exposure. After each fluoroscopic procedure performed in the IR suite during a 4-month period, dose-area product (DAP), fluoroscopy time, and use of shielding equipment (leaded eyeglasses and hanging lead shield) by IR physicians were recorded. A lecture and article were then given to IR physicians and technologists that reviewed ALARA principles for optimizing radiation dose. During the following 4 months, those same parameters were recorded after each procedure. Before education 432 procedures were performed and after education 616 procedures were performed. Physician use of leaded eyeglasses and hanging shield increased significantly after education. DAP and fluoroscopy time decreased significantly for uncomplicated peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) procedures and non-PICC procedures after education, but did not change for complicated PICC procedures. Staff radiation safety education can improve IR radiation safety practices and thus decrease exposure to radiation of both staff and patients. (orig.)

Pediatric radiation exposure from diagnostic nuclear medicine examinations in Tehran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neshandar Asli, I.; Tabeie, F.

2005-01-01

As a part of a nationwide survey to estimate population exposure to radiation from diagnostic nuclear medicine in Iran, this paper presents the pediatric population radiation exposure due to nuclear medicine examinations in Tehran. Patients and methods: the effective dose equivalent, H E , was used to calculate the collective effective dose in pediatric patients undergoing nuclear medicine procedures, and the corresponding data were obtained from thirty out of thirty seven active nuclear medicine departments in Tehran. Results: annually about 5.26% of nuclear medicine examinations were performed on patients under 15 years of age in Tehran. The most frequent was renal examinations (38.2%), followed y thyroid (27.4%) and bone (26.7%). The annual collective H E for patients under 15 was 19.03 human-Sv, which contributed 3.96% to the collective H E for all patients. The contribution of renal, bone and thyroid examinations to the pediatric collective H E were 24.6% 48.8% and 13.5% respectively. The mean effective dose equivalent per pediatric patient was 3.75 mSv.Conclusion: Among the three most frequent examinations, the bone with a relative frequency of 27.4% constituted 48.8% of the collective H E , which was the highest absorbed dose per examination. The mean effective dose per examination for patients younger than 15 years was 67.9% of the adults

Application of diagnostic reference levels in medical practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bourguignon, Michel [Faculty of Medicine of Paris, Deputy Director General, Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), Paris (France)

2006-07-01

Diagnosis reference levels (D.R.L.) are defined in the Council Directive 97/43 EURATOM as 'Dose levels in medical radio diagnosis practices or in the case of radiopharmaceuticals, levels of activity, for typical examinations for groups of standards-sized patients or standards phantoms for broadly defined types of equipment. These levels are expected not to be exceeded for standard procedures when good and normal practice regarding diagnostic and technical performance is applied'. Thus D.R.L. apply only to diagnostic procedures and does not apply to radiotherapy. Radiation protection of patients is based on the application of 2 major radiation protection principles, justification and optimization. The justification principle must be respected first because the best way to protect the patient is not to carry a useless test. Radiation protection of the patient is a continuous process and local dose indicator values in the good range should not prevent the radiologist or nuclear medicine physician to continue to optimize their practice. (N.C.)

Application of diagnostic reference levels in medical practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourguignon, Michel

2006-01-01

Diagnosis reference levels (D.R.L.) are defined in the Council Directive 97/43 EURATOM as 'Dose levels in medical radio diagnosis practices or in the case of radiopharmaceuticals, levels of activity, for typical examinations for groups of standards-sized patients or standards phantoms for broadly defined types of equipment. These levels are expected not to be exceeded for standard procedures when good and normal practice regarding diagnostic and technical performance is applied'. Thus D.R.L. apply only to diagnostic procedures and does not apply to radiotherapy. Radiation protection of patients is based on the application of 2 major radiation protection principles, justification and optimization. The justification principle must be respected first because the best way to protect the patient is not to carry a useless test. Radiation protection of the patient is a continuous process and local dose indicator values in the good range should not prevent the radiologist or nuclear medicine physician to continue to optimize their practice. (N.C.)

Radiation diagnostics in extremely harsh environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dona, H.; Lee, P.H.Y.; Williams, A.H.; McGurn, J.L.; Veeser, L.R.

1986-01-01

Some recent Trailmaster experiments have required to use of rather delicate radiation diagnostics in hostile environments. We have developed instrumentation for use high-explosive magnetic flux compression generators and near the noisy environment of high energy capacitor banks. These include some rather unique ''fly-away'' designs for x-ray imaging and spectroscopy, and other optical techniques for plasma temperature and field measurements. We will show some representative data and will also discuss an on-going program for the determination of magnetic field via atomic spectral line splitting and/or broadening

The design of diagnostic medical facilities using ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-03-01

This Code, setting out the general principles of radiological protection as applied to diagnostic radiation facilities in hospitals and clinics, is intended as a guide to architects and to works departments concerned with their design and construction, and with the modification of existing units

Diagnostic X-ray equipment evaluation in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campos de Araujo, A.M.; Peixoto, J.E.; Reis, V.R.G.

1980-01-01

A survey of the diagnostic X-ray equipment in use in Brazil is presented. Procedures for testing radiation quality (kilovoltage and filtration), tube output, beam collimation and protection devices are described and results of tests are tabulated. (H.K.)

Diagnostic radiation of potentially reproductive females

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abd El-Bagi, M E; Al-Mutairi, M S; Al-Thagafi, M A; Al-Masri, N M; Al-Sasi, O [Department of Radiology and Imaging, Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

2001-03-01

Objectives: To find out how consistent or variable is the understanding and practice of radiation protection procedures for women of childbearing age at a multispecialty tertiary hospital. Setting: Riyadh Military Hospital Study. Design: Non-clustered population survey. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed during grand rounds, mid-day clinics and a radiology conference. Questions included which radiation protection rule does the respondent use for females, whether he or she is familiar with those rules and what is his or her source of reference. Further questions were about the radiation dangers to the fetus. Results: Response was 95 (100%). Fifty-seven (60%) were males and 38 (40%) were females. The majority 50 (53%) were Saudis, 16 (17%) Western and 29 (30%) were other nationals. Sixty-two (65%) followed the old rule '10-day rule'; 17 (18%) followed the new '28-day rule' and 16 (17%) didn't know which rule to follow. None of those who followed the '28-day rule' indicated hospital policy as their reference. Conclusions: The understanding and practice of radiation protection guidelines for females is inconsistent. There is significant unfamiliarity with the radiation protection rules among our hospital practitioners. (author)

Diagnostic radiation of potentially reproductive females

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abd El-Bagi, M.E.; Al-Mutairi, M.S.; Al-Thagafi, M.A.; Al-Masri, N.M.; Al-Sasi, O.

2001-01-01

Objectives: To find out how consistent or variable is the understanding and practice of radiation protection procedures for women of childbearing age at a multispecialty tertiary hospital. Setting: Riyadh Military Hospital Study. Design: Non-clustered population survey. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed during grand rounds, mid-day clinics and a radiology conference. Questions included which radiation protection rule does the respondent use for females, whether he or she is familiar with those rules and what is his or her source of reference. Further questions were about the radiation dangers to the fetus. Results: Response was 95 (100%). Fifty-seven (60%) were males and 38 (40%) were females. The majority 50 (53%) were Saudis, 16 (17%) Western and 29 (30%) were other nationals. Sixty-two (65%) followed the old rule '10-day rule'; 17 (18%) followed the new '28-day rule' and 16 (17%) didn't know which rule to follow. None of those who followed the '28-day rule' indicated hospital policy as their reference. Conclusions: The understanding and practice of radiation protection guidelines for females is inconsistent. There is significant unfamiliarity with the radiation protection rules among our hospital practitioners. (author)

Management in the protection from ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radunovic, Miodrag; Nikolic, Krsto; Rakic, Goran

2008-01-01

There are numerous types and forms of endangering working and living environment, ranging from natural disasters to nuclear accidents. Challenges of the New Age determined that most of the countries reviewed its strategic decisions in the system of protection from ionizing radiation and nuclear safety and defined in a new way the threats, which could considerably imperil health of the population and national interests as well. Excessive radiation of the population became a serious and actual problem in the era of increasingly mass application of ionizing radiation, especially in medicine. The goal of this work is to reduce the risk through using knowledge and existing experiences, in particular when it comes to ionizing radiation in medicine. Optimization of the protection in radiology actually means an effort to find the compromise between quality information provided by diagnostics procedure and quality effects of therapy procedure on one side and dose of radiation received by patients on the other. Criteria for the quality management in the protection from ionizing radiation used in diagnostic radiology was given by the European Commission: European Guidelines on Quality Criteria for Diagnostic Radiographic Images, EUR, 16260. (author)

Occupational exposures from selected interventional radiological procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janeczek, J.; Beal, A.; James, D.

2001-01-01

The number of radiology and cardiology interventional procedures has significantly increased in recent years due to better diagnostic equipment resulting in an increase in radiation dose to the staff and patients. The assessment of staff doses was performed for cardiac catheterization and for three other non-cardiac procedures. The scattered radiation distribution resulting from the cardiac catheterization procedure was measured prior to the staff dose measurements. Staff dose measurements included those of the left shoulder, eye, thyroid and hand doses of the cardiologist. In non-cardiac procedures doses to the hands of the radiologist were measured for nephrostomy, fistulogram and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty procedures. Doses to the radiologist or cardiologist were found to be relatively high if correct protection was not observed. (author)

Bronchoscopic diagnostic procedures and microbiological examinations in proving endobronchial tuberculosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdullah Şimşek

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the proportional distribution of endobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB subtypes and to evaluate the types of bronchoscopic diagnostic procedures that can prove granulomatous inflammation. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 18 HIV-negative patients with biopsy-proven EBTB treated between 2010 and 2014. Results: The most common EBTB subtypes, as classified by the bronchoscopic features, were tumorous and granular (in 22.2% for both. Sputum smear microscopy was performed in 11 patients and was positive for AFB in 4 (36.3%. Sputum culture was also performed in 11 patients and was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 10 (90.9%. Smear microscopy of BAL fluid (BALF was performed in 16 patients and was positive for AFB in 10 (62.5%. Culture of BALF was also performed in 16 patients and was positive for M. tuberculosis in 15 (93.7%. Culture of BALF was positive for M. tuberculosis in 93.7% of the 16 patients tested. Among the 18 patients with EBTB, granulomatous inflammation was proven by the following bronchoscopic diagnostic procedures: bronchial mucosal biopsy, in 8 (44.4%; bronchial brushing, in 7 (38.8%; fine-needle aspiration biopsy, in 2 (11.1%; and BAL, in 2 (11.1%. Bronchial anthracofibrosis was observed in 5 (27.7% of the 18 cases evaluated. Conclusions: In our sample of EBTB patients, the most common subtypes were the tumorous and granular subtypes. We recommend that sputum samples and BALF samples be evaluated by smear microscopy for AFB and by culture for M. tuberculosis, which could increase the rates of early diagnosis of EBTB. We also recommend that bronchial brushing be employed together with other bronchoscopic diagnostic procedures in patients suspected of having EBTB.

Renal diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures in progressive systemic scleroderma (PSS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ammari, B.; Hotze, A.; Gruenwald, F.; Biersack, H.J.; Blitz, H.; Kuester, W.; Kreysel, H.W.

1989-02-01

The involvement of kidneys in progressive systemic scleroderma (PSS) is one of the most frequent causes of death in this disease. Using clinical criteria and laboratory tests only the frequency of kidney involvement would be clearly underestimated. Invasive diagnostic procedures such as biopsy and angiography can not be applied in those patients. Nuclear medicine techniques (hippurate clearance, DMSA-scan), however, offer non invasive and sensitive methods in the diagnosis of renal involvement in PSS patients. In our study 46 of 76 patients (60%) revealed pathologic findings. The mentioned diagnostic techniques show a high sensitivity and are in agreement with pathological findings described in PSS.

Renal diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures in progressive systemic scleroderma (PSS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ammari, B.; Hotze, A.; Gruenwald, F.; Biersack, H.J.; Blitz, H.; Kuester, W.; Kreysel, H.W.

1989-01-01

The involvement of kidneys in progressive systemic scleroderma (PSS) is one of the most frequent causes of death in this disease. Using clinical criteria and laboratory tests only the frequency of kidney involvement would be clearly underestimated. Invasive diagnostic procedures such as biopsy and angiography can not be applied in those patients. Nuclear medicine techniques (hippurate clearance, DMSA-scan), however, offer non invasive and sensitive methods in the diagnosis of renal involvement in PSS patients. In our study 46 of 76 patients (60%) revealed pathologic findings. The mentioned diagnostic techniques show a high sensitivity and are in agreement with pathological findings described in PSS. (orig.) [de

Two-dimensional AXUV-based radiated power density diagnostics on NSTX-U.

Science.gov (United States)

Faust, I; Delgado-Aparicio, L; Bell, R E; Tritz, K; Diallo, A; Gerhardt, S P; LeBlanc, B; Kozub, T A; Parker, R R; Stratton, B C

2014-11-01

A new set of radiated-power-density diagnostics for the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) tokamak have been designed to measure the two-dimensional poloidal structure of the total photon emissivity profile in order to perform power balance, impurity transport, and magnetohydrodynamic studies. Multiple AXUV-diode based pinhole cameras will be installed in the same toroidal angle at various poloidal locations. The local emissivity will be obtained from several types of tomographic reconstructions. The layout and response expected for the new radially viewing poloidal arrays will be shown for different impurity concentrations to characterize the diagnostic sensitivity. The radiated power profile inverted from the array data will also be used for estimates of power losses during transitions from various divertor configurations in NSTX-U. The effect of in-out and top/bottom asymmetries in the core radiation from high-Z impurities will be addressed.

Two-dimensional AXUV-based radiated power density diagnostics on NSTX-Ua)

Science.gov (United States)

Faust, I.; Delgado-Aparicio, L.; Bell, R. E.; Tritz, K.; Diallo, A.; Gerhardt, S. P.; LeBlanc, B.; Kozub, T. A.; Parker, R. R.; Stratton, B. C.

2014-11-01

A new set of radiated-power-density diagnostics for the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) tokamak have been designed to measure the two-dimensional poloidal structure of the total photon emissivity profile in order to perform power balance, impurity transport, and magnetohydrodynamic studies. Multiple AXUV-diode based pinhole cameras will be installed in the same toroidal angle at various poloidal locations. The local emissivity will be obtained from several types of tomographic reconstructions. The layout and response expected for the new radially viewing poloidal arrays will be shown for different impurity concentrations to characterize the diagnostic sensitivity. The radiated power profile inverted from the array data will also be used for estimates of power losses during transitions from various divertor configurations in NSTX-U. The effect of in-out and top/bottom asymmetries in the core radiation from high-Z impurities will be addressed.

Two-dimensional AXUV-based radiated power density diagnostics on NSTX-U

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faust, I.; Parker, R. R. [MIT - Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Delgado-Aparicio, L.; Bell, R. E.; Diallo, A.; Gerhardt, S. P.; LeBlanc, B.; Kozub, T. A. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States); Tritz, K. [The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21209 (United States); Stratton, B. C. [MIT - Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States)

2014-11-15

A new set of radiated-power-density diagnostics for the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) tokamak have been designed to measure the two-dimensional poloidal structure of the total photon emissivity profile in order to perform power balance, impurity transport, and magnetohydrodynamic studies. Multiple AXUV-diode based pinhole cameras will be installed in the same toroidal angle at various poloidal locations. The local emissivity will be obtained from several types of tomographic reconstructions. The layout and response expected for the new radially viewing poloidal arrays will be shown for different impurity concentrations to characterize the diagnostic sensitivity. The radiated power profile inverted from the array data will also be used for estimates of power losses during transitions from various divertor configurations in NSTX-U. The effect of in-out and top/bottom asymmetries in the core radiation from high-Z impurities will be addressed.

Two-dimensional AXUV-based radiated power density diagnostics on NSTX-U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faust, I.; Parker, R. R.; Delgado-Aparicio, L.; Bell, R. E.; Diallo, A.; Gerhardt, S. P.; LeBlanc, B.; Kozub, T. A.; Tritz, K.; Stratton, B. C.

2014-01-01

A new set of radiated-power-density diagnostics for the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) tokamak have been designed to measure the two-dimensional poloidal structure of the total photon emissivity profile in order to perform power balance, impurity transport, and magnetohydrodynamic studies. Multiple AXUV-diode based pinhole cameras will be installed in the same toroidal angle at various poloidal locations. The local emissivity will be obtained from several types of tomographic reconstructions. The layout and response expected for the new radially viewing poloidal arrays will be shown for different impurity concentrations to characterize the diagnostic sensitivity. The radiated power profile inverted from the array data will also be used for estimates of power losses during transitions from various divertor configurations in NSTX-U. The effect of in-out and top/bottom asymmetries in the core radiation from high-Z impurities will be addressed

Exposure to Indian population from diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Supe, S.J.; Venkataraman, G.; Sasane, J.B.; Sawant, S.G.; Shirva, V.K.; Iyer, P.S.

1993-01-01

Many national and international agencies are actively engaged in taking stock of radiation safety status of radiation procedures which add to the population dose significantly. National survey is being conducted to collect data from various diagnostic X-ray institutions to assess radiation safety status and population dose arising from such practices in India. For this purpose 11 centres are collecting information on annual number of patients examined site wise and on their age and sex distribution. Patient doses are also measured for various diagnostic X-ray examinations in a few hospitals using CaSO 4 :Dy TLD dosimeters. Preliminary results of earlier study indicate that the country has about 50000 diagnostic X-ray units. The annual number of X-ray examinations is estimated to be 9x10 7 . Mean entrance skin dose for diagnostic X-rays are between 0.2 to 50 mGy depending on the type of examination. On the basis of experience gained in the earlier survey an exhaustive survey is undertaken for 1992-93 for improving the assessment of population dose. (author). 3 refs

Diagnostics, therapy and ecology of thyroid diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stieve, F.E.; Roedler, H.D.

1983-01-01

Topical problems concerning diagnostics, therapy and ecology of thyroid diseases were discussed on an international level at this symposium. As the problems are mostly medical in nature, the symposium started with papers on the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the thyroid, followed by lectures on dose calculation and dose/effect relationships. Particular attention is paid to the distinction between external radiation exposure and incorporation of radioactive materials, especially iodine. Another section of the symposium was dedicated to the establishment of radiation hazards. The symposium ended with a discussion of the value of diagnostic and therapeutical procedures. The extensive discussions between experts from different nations and different fields of science have surely helped to deepen the knowledge on radiation effects. (orig./MG) [de

Development of quality assurance procedures for production of sealed radiation source

CERN Document Server

Nam, J H; Cho, W K; Han, H S; Hong, S B; Kim, K H; Kim, S D; Lee, Y G; Lim, N J

2001-01-01

The quality assurance procedures for sealed radiation sources production using HANARO and RIPF have been developed. The detailed quality assurance procedures are essential to manage the whole work process effectively and ensure the quality of the produced sealed sources. Through applying this quality assurance procedures to the entire production works of the sealed radiation sources, it is expected that the quality of the products, the safety of the works and the satisfaction of the customers will be increased.

Risk and safety requirements for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in allergology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kowalski, Marek L; Ansotegui, Ignacio; Aberer, Werner

2016-01-01

One of the major concerns in the practice of allergy is related to the safety of procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disease. Management (diagnosis and treatment) of hypersensitivity disorders involves often intentional exposure to potentially allergenic substances (during skin...... attempted to present general requirements necessary to assure the safety of these procedures. Following review of available literature a group of allergy experts within the World Allergy Organization (WAO), representing various continents and areas of allergy expertise, presents this report on risk...... associated with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in allergology and proposes a consensus on safety requirements for performing procedures in allergy offices. Optimal safety measures including appropriate location, type and required time of supervision, availability of safety equipment, access...

Photoacoustical and pyroelectric dosimetry of X-ray radiation in diagnostic region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, A.A. de.

1987-01-01

Three new types of radiation dosimeters, designed to measure X rays in its diagnostic region are described: the pulsed photoacoustical radiation dosimeter, the pyroelectric radiation dosimeter and the pulsed pyroelectric radiation dosimeter. The photoacoustical radiation dosimeter with the scope of to compare its carachteristics with the carachteristics of the new developed dosimeters is also studied. A methodology for calibration of a photoacoustical dosimeter which doesn't require the calibration of its response in a known field of ionizing radiation is proposed. A theoretical model to explain the results produced by the pulsed pyroelectric radiation dosimeter is presented. The obtained results show that the developed dosimeters are of calorimetric type, being linear its response with the X ray energy fluence rate. (author) [pt

Low dose diagnostic radiation does not increase cancer risk in cancer prone mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boreham, D., E-mail: dboreham@nosm.ca [Northern Ontario School of Medicine, ON (Canada); Phan, N., E-mail: nghiphan13@yahoo.com [Univ. of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Lemon, J., E-mail: lemonja@mcmaster.ca [McMaster Univ., Hamilton, ON (Canada)

2014-07-01

The increased exposure of patients to low dose diagnostic ionizing radiation has created concern that these procedures will result in greater risk of carcinogenesis. However, there is substantial evidence that shows in many cases that low dose exposure has the opposite effect. We have investigated whether CT scans can modify mechanisms associated with carcinogenesis in cancer-prone mice. Cancer was induced in Trp53+/- mice with an acute high dose whole-body 4 Gy γ-radiation exposure. Four weeks following the cancer-inducing dose, weekly whole-body CT scans (10 mGy/scan, 75 kVp X-rays) were given for ten consecutive weeks adding an additional radiation burden of 0.1 Gy. Short-term biological responses and subsequent lifetime cancer risk were investigated. Five days following the last CT scan, there were no detectable differences in the spontaneous levels of DNA damage in blood cells (reticulocytes). In fact, CT scanned mice had significantly lower constitutive levels of oxidative DNA damage and cell death (apoptosis), compared to non-CT scanned mice. This shows that multiple low dose radiation exposures modified the radio response and indicates protective processes were induced in mice. In mice treated with the multiple CT scans following the high cancer-inducing 4 Gy dose, tumour latency was increased, significantly prolonging lifespan. We conclude that repeated CT scans can reduce the cancer risk of a prior high-dose radiation exposure, and delay the progression of specific types of radiation-induced cancers in Trp53+/-mice. This research shows for the first time that low dose exposure long after cancer initiation events alter risk and reduce cancer morbidity. Cancer induction following low doses does not follow a linear non-threshold model of risk and this model should not be used to extrapolate risk to humans following low dose exposure to ionizing radiation. (author)

Radiation hazards and protection of patient in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, Y.C.; Haldar, P.K.

1980-01-01

Biological radiation effects such as somatic certainty effects, somatic stochastic effects and genetic effects are described. Diagnostic radiology, therefore, involves risk to the patient in case of undesirable exposures and in particular to the fetus. Gonad doses in diagnostic radiology which may lead to genetic effects have been found to vary within a wide range. To avoid somatic certainty and to keep genetic effects to a minimum, some suggestions are enumerated. They deal with the choice of technique, proper positioning, use of calibrated equipment and use of techniques like xerography, ultrasonography, thermography etc. (M.G.B.)

Management of diagnostic x-ray radiation in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Date, T.

2000-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and effective method to prevent the scattering of x-ray radiation by using a lead apron in the x-ray rooms of developing countries. In developed countries, the scattering of x-ray radiation among patients and radiographers in diagnostic x-ray rooms has been minimized by various methods. However, in some developing countries, scattered x-ray radiation has not yet been adequately contained. The policy of As Law As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) requires that patients who are waiting for their examinations must be protected from scattered x-ray radiation. However, from the author's experience, protection from scattered x-ray radiation in x-ray rooms is often insufficient in developing countries. In addition, major public hospitals in big cities are overwhelmed with patients because radiology resources in developing countries are concentrated in the big cities. Moreover, the situation is made worse by short working hours in public hospitals. Hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. are typical. Because of the circumstances, radiographers, who are in a rush to finish all of the examinations within their normal working hours, sometimes allow patients to enter the x-ray rooms while they are waiting for their examinations. Chest and abdominal x-rays are the most common kinds of diagnostic x-ray examination in developing countries. Thus, in this study, anthropomorphic chest and abdominal phantoms were x-rayed for measuring the scattered x-ray radiation with and without protection using a 0.25mmPb lead apron at specific points from the anthropomorphic phantoms in the x-ray room. The lead apron was hung on a mobile apron-hanger and placed next to the anthropomorphic phantom. The scattered radiation dosimetry for chest x-rays proves that this simple method reduces scattered x-ray radiation to 15% at one-meter point and to almost 0% at the two-meter point from the anthropomorphic phantom in the x-ray room. Lead aprons are

Synchrotron radiation from magnetic undulators as a prospective diagnostic tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbini, R.; Ciocci, F.; Dattoli, G.; Torre, A.; Ginnessi, L.

1989-01-01

The brightness of the radiation emitted by an ultrarelativistic e-beam passing through a magnetic undulator is sensitive to the beam quality (namely, energy spread and emittances) and to the undulator characteristics (i.e., possible random errors both in intensity and direction of magnetization, etc.) The spectrum distortion induced by the above effects and the possibility of using the undulator radiation as a diagnostic tool is discussed. Finally the importance of near-field effects when the radiation is detectedunfocussed off-axis and how they can combine with the effects induced by the beam emittances to produced a larger on-axis inhomogeneous broadening

Anesthesia for radiologic procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forestner, J.E.

1987-01-01

Anesthetic techniques for neurodiagnostic studies and radiation therapy have been recently reviewed, but anesthetic involvement in thoracic and abdominal radiology has received little attention. Patient reactions to radiologic contrast media may be of concern to the anesthesiologist, who is often responsible for injecting these agents during diagnostic procedures, and thus is included in this discussion. Finally, the difficulties of administering anesthesia for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are outlined, in an effort to help anesthesiologist to anticipate problems with this new technologic development. Although there are very few indications for the use of general anesthesia for diagnostic radiologic studies in adults, most procedures performed with children, the mentally retarded, or the combative adult require either heavy sedation or general anesthesia. In selecting an anesthetic technique for a specific procedure, both the patient's disease process and the requirements of the radiologist must be carefully balanced

Radiation protection and quality assurance in diagnostic radiology - an IAEA coordinated research project in Asia and Eastern Europe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oresegun, Modupe [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria); LeHeron, J. [National Radiation Laboratory, Christchurch (New Zealand); Maccia, C. [Centre d' Assurance de qualite des Applications Technologiques dans le Domaine de la Sante, Bourg-la-Reine (France); Padovani, R. [Instituto di Fisica Sanitaria, Udine (Italy); Vano, E. [Medical Physics Group, Radiology Department, Complutense University, Madrid (Spain)

1999-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency currently has two parallel Coordinated Research Projects (CRP) running in Asia and Eastern Europe. The main objective of the CRPs is to raise the level of awareness in participating countries about the need for radiation protection for patients undergoing diagnostic radiology procedures. This is to be achieved by first assessing the status quo in a sample of hospitals and X-ray rooms in each participating country. A program of optimization of radiation protection for patients is then introduced by means of a comprehensive quality assurance program and the implementation of appropriate dose reduction methods, taking into account clinical requirements for diagnostically acceptable images. Patient dose assessment and image quality assessment are to be performed both before and after the introduction of the quality assurance program. The CRP is divided into two phases - the first is concerned with conventional radiography, while the second involves fluoroscopy and computed tomography. The CRP is still running, restricting the scope of this paper to a discussion of the approach being taken with the project. The project will be completed in 1998, with analysis to follow.

Radiation protection and quality assurance in diagnostic radiology - an IAEA coordinated research project in Asia and Eastern Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oresegun, Modupe; LeHeron, J.; Maccia, C.; Padovani, R.; Vano, E.

1999-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency currently has two parallel Coordinated Research Projects (CRP) running in Asia and Eastern Europe. The main objective of the CRPs is to raise the level of awareness in participating countries about the need for radiation protection for patients undergoing diagnostic radiology procedures. This is to be achieved by first assessing the status quo in a sample of hospitals and X-ray rooms in each participating country. A program of optimization of radiation protection for patients is then introduced by means of a comprehensive quality assurance program and the implementation of appropriate dose reduction methods, taking into account clinical requirements for diagnostically acceptable images. Patient dose assessment and image quality assessment are to be performed both before and after the introduction of the quality assurance program. The CRP is divided into two phases - the first is concerned with conventional radiography, while the second involves fluoroscopy and computed tomography. The CRP is still running, restricting the scope of this paper to a discussion of the approach being taken with the project. The project will be completed in 1998, with analysis to follow

The cutaneous radiation syndrome: diagnosis and treatment; Le syndrome d'irradiation cutane, diagnostic et traitement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peter, R.U.; Steinert, M.; Gottlober, P. [Ulm Univ., Dept. of Dermatology (Germany)

2001-12-01

Accidental exposure to ionising radiation may occur during such catastrophic events as the Chernobyl accident in 1986 or for days and weeks as in Goiania in 1987 and in the military camp during the training of soldiers in Lilo/Georgia in 1997 as well as in medical institutions. The cutaneous symptoms after radiation exposure are based on a combination of inflammatory processes and alteration of cellular proliferation as a result of a specific pattern of transcriptionally activated pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors. They follow a time course consisting of prodromal erythema, manifestation, chronic stage, late stage and they are referred to as Cutaneous Radiation Syndrome. The time course depends on several factors such as the applied radiation dose, radiation quality, individual radiation sensitivity, the extent of contamination and absorption and volume of the skin. For diagnostics of the cutaneous radiation syndrome the following procedures are used: 7.5 MHz to 20 MHz-B-scan-sonography, thermography, capillary microscopy, profilometry, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, bone scintigraphy and histology. Based on the results of experimental and clinical research of the last years pharmacotherapy of the cutaneous radiation syndrome includes topic or systemic application of corticosteroids, gamma-interferon, pentoxifylline and vitamin E and superoxide dismutase. The treatment depends on the stage of the cutaneous radiation syndrome. Due to the complexity of the clinical manifestations of radiation disease in most patients an interdisciplinary treatment in specialized centres is necessary. Dermatologists are asked to perform in most cases life-long therapy and follow-up of the patients. (author)

Diseases induced by ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

The instruction sheet for medical examinations presents information on clinical symptoms and diagnostic procedures relating to the following cases: 1. Acute radiation injury due to whole-body exposure; 2. acute, local radiation injury due to partial body exposure; 3. chronic general affections due to whole-body exposure; 4. chronic, local affections due to partial body exposure; 5. delayed radiation effects. (HP) [de

Radiation protection in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chougule, Arun

2014-01-01

The branch of medical science that utilizes the nuclear properties of the radioactivity and stable nuclides to make diagnostic evaluation of anatomical and/or physiological conditions of the body and provide therapy with unsealed radioactive sources is called Nuclear Medicine (NM). The use of unsealed radionuclides in medicine is increasing throughout the world for diagnosis and treatment. As per UNSCEAR report more than 6 million nuclear medicine procedures are conducted in a year. However we know that radiation is double edged sword and if not used carefully will be harmful to patient as well as staff and therefore a nuclear medicine procedure should be undertaken only after proper justification and optimization. Nuclear medicine procedures are different than the X-ray diagnostic procedures as in NM, radioisotope is administered to patient and patient becomes radioactive. The NM staff is involved in unpacking radioactive material, activity measurements, storage of sources, internal transports of sources, preparation of radiopharmaceuticals, administration of radiopharmaceutical, examination of the patient, care of the radioactive patient, handling of radioactive waste and therefore receives radiation dose. This talk will discuss the various steps for radiation safety of patient, staff and public during Nuclear Medicine procedures so as to implementing the ALARA concept. (author)

Estimated cumulative radiation dose received by diagnostic imaging during staging and treatment of operable Ewing sarcoma 2005-2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnsen, Boel; Fasmer, Kristine Eldevik; Boye, Kjetil; Rosendahl, Karen; Aukland, Stein Magnus; Trovik, Clement; Biermann, Martin

2017-01-01

Patients with Ewing sarcoma are subject to various diagnostic procedures that incur exposure to ionising radiation. To estimate the radiation doses received from all radiologic and nuclear imaging episodes during diagnosis and treatment, and to determine whether 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography - computed tomography ( 18 F-FDG PET-CT) is a major contributor of radiation. Twenty Ewing sarcoma patients diagnosed in Norway in 2005-2012 met the inclusion criteria (age <30 years, operable disease, uncomplicated chemotherapy and surgery, no metastasis or residual disease within a year of diagnosis). Radiation doses from all imaging during the first year were calculated for each patient. The mean estimated cumulative radiation dose for all patients was 34 mSv (range: 6-70), radiography accounting for 3 mSv (range: 0.2-12), CT for 13 mSv (range: 2-28) and nuclear medicine for 18 mSv (range: 2-47). For the patients examined with PET-CT, the mean estimated cumulative effective dose was 38 mSv, of which PET-CT accounted for 14 mSv (37%). There was large variation in number and type of examinations performed and also in estimated cumulative radiation dose. The mean radiation dose for patients examined with PET-CT was 23% higher than for patients not examined with PET-CT. (orig.)

Sensitivity of the diagnostic radiological index of protection to procedural factors in fluoroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, A. Kyle, E-mail: kyle.jones@mdanderson.org [Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States); Pasciak, Alexander S. [Department of Radiology, The University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee 37922 (United States); Wagner, Louis K. [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, The John P. and Katharine G. McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas 77030 (United States)

2016-07-15

Purpose: To evaluate the sensitivity of the diagnostic radiological index of protection (DRIP), used to quantify the protective value of radioprotective garments, to procedural factors in fluoroscopy in an effort to determine an appropriate set of scatter-mimicking primary beams to be used in measuring the DRIP. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations were performed to determine the shape of the scattered x-ray spectra incident on the operator in different clinical fluoroscopy scenarios, including interventional radiology and interventional cardiology (IC). Two clinical simulations studied the sensitivity of the scattered spectrum to gantry angle and patient size, while technical factors were varied according to measured automatic dose rate control (ADRC) data. Factorial simulations studied the sensitivity of the scattered spectrum to gantry angle, field of view, patient size, and beam quality for constant technical factors. Average energy (E{sub avg}) was the figure of merit used to condense fluence in each energy bin to a single numerical index. Results: Beam quality had the strongest influence on the scattered spectrum in fluoroscopy. Many procedural factors affect the scattered spectrum indirectly through their effect on primary beam quality through ADRC, e.g., gantry angle and patient size. Lateral C-arm rotation, common in IC, increased the energy of the scattered spectrum, regardless of the direction of rotation. The effect of patient size on scattered radiation depended on ADRC characteristics, patient size, and procedure type. Conclusions: The scattered spectrum striking the operator in fluoroscopy is most strongly influenced by primary beam quality, particularly kV. Use cases for protective garments should be classified by typical procedural primary beam qualities, which are governed by the ADRC according to the impacts of patient size, anatomical location, and gantry angle.

[Evaluation of quality of HIV diagnostic procedures in Poland].

Science.gov (United States)

Parczewski, Miłosz; Madaliński, Kazimierz; Leszczyszyn-Pynka, Magdalena; Boroń-Kaczmarska, Anna

2010-01-01

The aim of this work was quality assessment of HIV diagnostic procedures in Poland, including human and technical resources as well as laboratory practice. Sixty questionnaires were distributed among diagnostic centers to obtain qualitative data. Basing on the survey data serological control using coded panels of HIV-1/2 samples was performed. Thirty-one filled questionnaires were received (50.8%). Surveyed laboratories perform from 350 to 5500 serological screening tests per year. In most of laboratories fourth generation assays are available, while Blood Donation Centers screen the blood both with serological assays and by HIV-RNA detection. Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations and academic laboratories hold the ISO/IEC 17025 or IS0 9001:2001 accreditation, five of the surveyed centers participate in Labquality assurance and two in Quality Control in Molecular Diagnostics programs. Data of control serological testing were received from 21 centers. In the quality control assessment 194 analyses were performed with 91 true negative, 2 false negative, 96 true positive and 5 false positive results. False negative rate of % and false positive rate of 5.2% was noted for this study. Currently, virtually no guidelines related to the HIV-diagnostics quality assurance and control in Poland are in delineated. Development of the national unified quality control system, basing on the central institution is highly desirable. National certification within the frames of the quality control and assurance program should be mandatory for all the diagnostic labs, and aim at improvement of reliability of the result distributed among clinicians and patients.

The Design of Diagnostic Medical Facilities where Ionising Radiation is used

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malone, J.; O'Reilly, G.; O'Connor, U.; Gallagher, A.; Sheahan, N.; Fennell, S.

2009-06-01

The original Code of Practice on The Design of Diagnostic Medical Facilities Using Ionising Radiation was first published by the Nuclear Energy Board in 1988. In the intervening years the 'Blue Book' as it became known has served the medical community well as the sector has expanded and modernised and the late Dr Noel Nowlan, then Chief Executive of the Nuclear Energy Board, deserves much credit for initiating this pioneering contribution to radiation safety in Ireland. There have been significant developments since its publication in terms of the underlying radiation protection legislation, regulatory practice as well as developments in new technologies that have given rise to the need for a revision of the Code. This revised Code is based on a comprehensive draft document produced by the Haughton Institute under contract to the RPII and was finalised following extensive consultations with the relevant stakeholders. The revised Code includes a brief review of the current legislative framework and its specific impact on the management of building projects (Chapters 1 and 2), a presentation of the main types of radiological (Chapter 3) and nuclear medicine (Chapter 4) facilities, a treatment of the technical aspects of shielding calculations (Chapter 5) and a discussion of the practical aspects of implementing shielding solutions in a building context (Chapter 6). The primary purpose of the Code is to assist in the design of diagnostic facilities to the highest radiation protection standards in order to ensure the safety of workers and members of the public and the delivery of a safe service to patients. Diagnostic radiology is a dynamic environment and the Code is intended to be used in consultation with the current literature, an experienced Radiation Protection Advisor and a multidisciplinary project team

Dosimetry in Diagnostic Radiology for Paediatric Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

Concern about the radiation dose to children from diagnostic radiology examinations has recently been popularly expressed, particularly as related to computed tomography (CT) procedures. This involves the observation that children can receive doses far in excess of those delivered to adults, in part due to the digital nature of the image receptors that may give no warning to the operator of the dose to the patient. Concern for CT examinations should be extended to the broad range of paediatric diagnostic radiological procedures responsible for radiation doses in children, especially as factors, such as increased radiosensitivity and the longer life expectancy of children, increase the associated radiation risk. In all cases, owing to the added paediatric radiological examination factor of patient size and its associated impact on equipment selection, clinical examination protocol and dosimetric audit, the determination of paediatric dose requires a distinct approach from adult dosimetry associated with diagnostic radiological examinations. In response to this, there is a need to inform health professionals about standardized methodologies used to determine paediatric dose for all major modalities such as general radiography, fluoroscopy and CT. Methodologies for standardizing the conduct of dose audits and their use for the derivation and application of diagnostic reference levels for patient populations, that vary in size, are also required. In addition, a review is needed of the current knowledge on risks specific to non-adults from radiation, and also an analysis of the management of factors contributing to dose from paediatric radiological examinations. In 2007, the IAEA published a code of practice, Dosimetry in Diagnostic Radiology: An International Code of Practice, as Technical Reports Series No. 457 (TRS 457). TRS 457 recommends procedures for dosimetric measurement and calibration for the attainment of standardized dosimetry, and addresses requirements

Developing an automated database for monitoring ultrasound- and computed tomography-guided procedure complications and diagnostic yield.

Science.gov (United States)

Itri, Jason N; Jones, Lisa P; Kim, Woojin; Boonn, William W; Kolansky, Ana S; Hilton, Susan; Zafar, Hanna M

2014-04-01

Monitoring complications and diagnostic yield for image-guided procedures is an important component of maintaining high quality patient care promoted by professional societies in radiology and accreditation organizations such as the American College of Radiology (ACR) and Joint Commission. These outcome metrics can be used as part of a comprehensive quality assurance/quality improvement program to reduce variation in clinical practice, provide opportunities to engage in practice quality improvement, and contribute to developing national benchmarks and standards. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and successful implementation of an automated web-based software application to monitor procedural outcomes for US- and CT-guided procedures in an academic radiology department. The open source tools PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) and MySQL were used to extract relevant procedural information from the Radiology Information System (RIS), auto-populate the procedure log database, and develop a user interface that generates real-time reports of complication rates and diagnostic yield by site and by operator. Utilizing structured radiology report templates resulted in significantly improved accuracy of information auto-populated from radiology reports, as well as greater compliance with manual data entry. An automated web-based procedure log database is an effective tool to reliably track complication rates and diagnostic yield for US- and CT-guided procedures performed in a radiology department.

Radiation risks in pregnancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mossman, K.L.; Hill, L.T.

1982-01-01

A major contraindication of radiodiagnostic procedures is pregnancy. Approximately 1% of all pregnant women are given abdominal x-rays during the first trimester of pregnancy. Evaluation of radiation exposure should involve consideration of the types of examinations performed and when performed, as well as radiation dose and risk estimation. This information is then weighed against other possible risks of the pregnancy as well as personal factors. In the authors' experiences, radiation exposures usually result in doses to the embryo of less than 5 cGy (rad); the resulting radiation risks are usually small compared with other risks of pregnancy. Procedures to minimize diagnostic x-ray exposure of the fetus are also discussed

Advantages of digital imaging for radiological diagnostic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trapero, M. A.; Gonzalez, S.; Albillos, J. C.; Martel, J.; Rebollo, M.

2006-01-01

The advantages and limitations of radiological digital images in comparison with analogic ones are analyzed. We discuss three main topics: acquisition, post-procedure manipulation, and visualization, archive and communication. Digital acquisition with computed radiology systems present a global sensitivity very close to conventional film for diagnostic purposes. However, flat panel digital systems seems to achieve some advantages in particular clinical situations. A critical issue is the radiation dose-reduction that can be accomplished without reducing image quality nor diagnostic exactitude. The post-procedure manipulation allows, particularly in multiplanar modalities like CT or MR, to extract all implicit diagnostic information in the images: Main procedures are multiplanar and three-dimensional reformations, dynamic acquisitions, functional studies and image fusion. The use of PACS for visualization, archive and communication of images, improves the effectiveness and the efficiency of the workflow, allows a more comfortable diagnosis for the radiologist and gives way to improvements in the communication of images, allowing tele consulting and the tele radiology. (Author) 6 refs

Senior medical students' awareness of radiation risks from common diagnostic imaging examinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Scali, Elena; Mayo, John; Nicolaou, Savvas; Kozoriz, Michael; Chang, Silvia

2017-12-01

Senior medical students represent future physicians who commonly refer patients for diagnostic imaging studies that may involve ionizing radiation. The radiology curriculum at the University of British Columbia provides students with broad-based knowledge about common imaging examinations. The purpose of this study was to investigate students' awareness of radiation exposures and risks. An anonymous multiple-choice cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed to final year medical students to assess knowledge of radiation from common diagnostic examinations and radiation-related risks following completion of the longitudinal radiology curriculum, carried out over the four years of medical training. Sixty-three of 192 eligible students participated (33% response rate). The majority felt that knowledge of radiation doses of common imaging examinations is somewhat or very important; however, only 12% (N = 8) routinely discuss radiation-related risks with patients. While all respondents recognized children as most sensitive to the effects of radiation, only 24% (N = 15) correctly identified gonads as the most radiation-sensitive tissue. Almost all respondents recognized ultrasound and MRI as radiation free modalities. Respondents who correctly identified the relative dose of common imaging examinations in chest x-ray equivalents varied from 3-77% (N = 2 - 49); the remaining responses were largely underestimates. Finally, 44% (N = 28) correctly identified the excess risk of a fatal cancer from an abdominal CT in an adult, while the remainder underestimated this risk. Medical students acknowledge the importance of radiation-related issues to patient care. While almost all students are familiar with radiation-free modalities, many are not familiar with, and commonly underestimate, the relative doses and risks of common imaging studies. This may expose patients to increasing imaging investigations and exposure to radiation hazards.

Occuptional radiation exposures and thyroid cancer risk among radiologic technologists

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, Eun Kyeong; Lee, Won Jin [Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Ha, Mina [Dankook University Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jae Young [Keimyung University, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Jun, Jae Kwan [National Cancer Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jin, Young Won [Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-04-15

Medical radiation workers were among the earliest occupational groups exposed to external ionizing radiation due to their administration of a range of medical diagnostic procedures and accounted for 7.4 million worldwide in 2008. Ionizing radiation is the confirmed human carcinogen for most organ sites. The aims of the study is to evaluate the association between occupational practices including radiation exposure and thyroid cancer risk among radiologic technologists. We found no significant association between the risk of thyroid cancer and the majority of work practices among diagnostic radiation technologists in general. However workers performing fluoroscopy and interventional procedures showed increased risks although the lack of a clear exposure– response gradient makes it difficult to draw clear conclusions. Future studies with larger sample size and detailed work practices implementation are needed to clarify the role of occupational radiation work in thyroid cancer carcinogenesis.

Occuptional radiation exposures and thyroid cancer risk among radiologic technologists

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Eun Kyeong; Lee, Won Jin; Ha, Mina; Kim, Jae Young; Jun, Jae Kwan; Jin, Young Won

2016-01-01

Medical radiation workers were among the earliest occupational groups exposed to external ionizing radiation due to their administration of a range of medical diagnostic procedures and accounted for 7.4 million worldwide in 2008. Ionizing radiation is the confirmed human carcinogen for most organ sites. The aims of the study is to evaluate the association between occupational practices including radiation exposure and thyroid cancer risk among radiologic technologists. We found no significant association between the risk of thyroid cancer and the majority of work practices among diagnostic radiation technologists in general. However workers performing fluoroscopy and interventional procedures showed increased risks although the lack of a clear exposure– response gradient makes it difficult to draw clear conclusions. Future studies with larger sample size and detailed work practices implementation are needed to clarify the role of occupational radiation work in thyroid cancer carcinogenesis.

Radiation-Induced Noncancer Risks in Interventional Cardiology: Optimisation of Procedures and Staff and Patient Dose Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Khairuddin Md Yusof, Ahmad

2013-01-01

Concerns about ionizing radiation during interventional cardiology have been increased in recent years as a result of rapid growth in interventional procedure volumes and the high radiation doses associated with some procedures. Noncancer radiation risks to cardiologists and medical staff in terms of radiation-induced cataracts and skin injuries for patients appear clear potential consequences of interventional cardiology procedures, while radiation-induced potential risk of developing cardiovascular effects remains less clear. This paper provides an overview of the evidence-based reviews of concerns about noncancer risks of radiation exposure in interventional cardiology. Strategies commonly undertaken to reduce radiation doses to both medical staff and patients during interventional cardiology procedures are discussed; optimisation of interventional cardiology procedures is highlighted. PMID:24027768

Radiation protection during hybrid procedures: innovation creates new challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawdy, Jaclynn M; Gocha, Mark D; Olshove, Vincent; Chisolm, Joanne L; Hill, Sharon L; Phillips, Alistair; Galantowicz, Mark; Cheatham, John P; Holzer, Ralf J

2009-09-01

The cooperation between interventional cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons has expanded the spectrum of treatment modalities for patients with congenital heart disease. These hybrid techniques have created new challenges, one of which being the provision of adequate but practical radiation protection. This study evaluates the use of a lightweight radiation protection drape (RADPAD) that may be suitable for shielding during hybrid procedures. To simulate a pediatric patient, an 8.7 liter water-filled tub was placed on an X-ray table and exposed to 10-second cine acquisition runs. Radiation exposure was measured at twelve specified locations around the table using a model with three different levels of radiation protection: no shielding, shielding using a traditional 0.35 mm lead-equivalent apron, and shielding using the 0.25 mm lead-equivalent RADPAD. The traditional lead apron and the RADPAD significantly reduced the amount of radiation dose when compared with no shielding. The standard lead apron provided slightly greater radiation protection than the RADPAD (0.000064 radiation absorbed dose [rad] vs. 0.000091 rad; p = 0.012). The measured rad was significantly higher on the right side of the table, and the measured radiation dose decreased significantly with increasing distance from the table. The RADPAD has been shown to function as an efficient shielding device, even though it does not quite match the protection that can be expected from a standard lead apron. It complies with regulatory radiation protection requirements and its lightweight and sterile use make it particularly useful during hybrid procedures in the operating room.

Development of quality control procedures at a new radiation therapy centre

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, A.

1999-01-01

Before patients can be treated with radiation therapy, the radiation therapist must be certain that the equipment is functioning within specified parameters. When commencing a new service, introducing appropriate Quality Control procedures on all equipment can be a major accomplishment. At the North Queensland Oncology Service, the Radiation Therapists are responsible for the daily Quality Control on all the radiation therapy equipment. The documentation and procedures were developed by radiation therapists to ensure that all machine parameter discrepancies would be detected before a patient was treated. Monthly Quality Control is the responsibility of the Physics Department. These are carried out on the bi-weekly service days rostered for each linear accelerator and monthly for the simulator. Ongoing Quality Control and Maintenance Meetings ensures reporting and feedback is ongoing between the Radiation Therapists and Physicists. All other liaising is done through the Deputy Chief Radiation Therapist and Senior Physicist. Copyright (1999) Australian Institute of Radiography

MRI-guided stereotactic neurosurgical procedures in a diagnostic MRI suite: Background and safe practice recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Paul S; Willie, Jon T; Vadivelu, Sudhakar; Azmi-Ghadimi, Hooman; Nichols, Amy; Fauerbach, Loretta Litz; Johnson, Helen Boehm; Graham, Denise

2017-07-01

The development of navigation technology facilitating MRI-guided stereotactic neurosurgery has enabled neurosurgeons to perform a variety of procedures ranging from deep brain stimulation to laser ablation entirely within an intraoperative or diagnostic MRI suite while having real-time visualization of brain anatomy. Prior to this technology, some of these procedures required multisite workflow patterns that presented significant risk to the patient during transport. For those facilities with access to this technology, safe practice guidelines exist only for procedures performed within an intraoperative MRI. There are currently no safe practice guidelines or parameters available for facilities looking to integrate this technology into practice in conventional MRI suites. Performing neurosurgical procedures in a diagnostic MRI suite does require precautionary measures. The relative novelty of technology and workflows for direct MRI-guided procedures requires consideration of safe practice recommendations, including those pertaining to infection control and magnet safety issues. This article proposes a framework of safe practice recommendations designed for assessing readiness and optimization of MRI-guided neurosurgical interventions in the diagnostic MRI suite in an effort to mitigate patient risk. The framework is based on existing clinical evidence, recommendations, and guidelines related to infection control and prevention, health care-associated infections, and magnet safety, as well as the clinical and practical experience of neurosurgeons utilizing this technology. © 2017 American Society for Healthcare Risk Management of the American Hospital Association.

A pilot study of radiation exposures arising from interventional radiology procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pellet, S.; Giczi, F.; Gaspardy, G.; Temesi, A.; Ballay, L.

2006-01-01

Full text of publication follows: In the past 25 years, considerable number of new therapeutic procedures have been worked out and adopted in radiology. These interventional procedures are mainly based on angiographic methods. During these procedures the exposure of patients and staff are usually greater than of conventional radiography and fluoroscopy as a consequence of longer fluoroscopy times and great number of cine-radiography. In the latest years radiation-induced skin injuries occurred in some patients. Injuries to physicians and staff performing interventional procedures have also been observed. In our days interventional procedures are widely used and more sophisticated procedures are worked out and adopted. Consequently, there is a need for the protection of the patient and the staff on a higher level. Radiation protection of intervention radiology deserves a distinguish attention. In Hungary interventional radiology were performed in 36 laboratories in 2003. According to statistical data the gross number of interventional radiological procedures were 19442. The most frequently performed procedures were the P.T.C.A., the coronary and ilio-femoral stent implantation and chemo-embolization. In 2004, the National Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radio-hygiene and the National Patient Dose Evaluation Program started a pilot study of radiation exposures arising from interventional radiology procedures. During the study the patient exposure were measured by D.A.P.-meters. The patient skin dose and the staff dose were performed by thermoluminescent chips. In their presentation the authors present the most important results of the study. (authors)

Radiologist and angiographic procedures. Absorbed radiation dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tryhus, M.; Mettler, F.A. Jr.; Kelsey, C.

1987-01-01

The radiation dose absorbed by the angiographer during angiographic procedures is of vital importance to the radiologist. Nevertheless, most articles on the subject are incomplete, and few measure gonadal dose. In this study, three TLDs were used for each of the following sites: radiologist's eyes, thyroid, gonads with and without shielding apron, and hands. The average dose during carotid angiograms was 2.6, 4.1, 0.4, 4.7, and 7.1 mrads to the eyes, thyroid, gonads with and without .5 mm of lead shielding, and hands, respectively. Average dose during abdominal and peripheral vascular angiographic procedures was 5.2, 7.5, 1.2, 8.5, and 39.9 mrads to the eyes, thyroid, gonads with and without shielding, and hands, respectively. A literature review demonstrates a significant reduction in radiation dose to the angiographer after the advent of automated injectors. Our measured doses for carotid angiography are compatible with contemporary reported values. There was poor correlation with fluoroscopy time and measured dose to the angiographer

Radiation protection limits and review procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dafauti, Sunita; Gopalakrishnan, R.K.; Pradeepkumar, K.S.

2017-01-01

The primary means of controlling radiation exposure in planned exposure situations in nuclear facilities/radiological laboratories are by good design of facilities, equipment, operating procedures and by ensuring appropriate training to all plant occupational workers. In planned exposure situations, exposure at some level can be expected to occur. For planned exposure situations, exposures are subject to control for ensuring that the specified dose limits for occupational exposure and those for public exposure are not exceeded and optimization is applied to attain the desired level of protection and safety. The person or organization responsible for any facility or activity that gives rise to radiation exposure should have the prime responsibility for protection and safety, which cannot be delegated

Radiation dermatitis after spinal arteriovenous malformation embolization: case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carstens, G.J.; Horowitz, M.B.; Purdy, P.D.; Pandya, A.G.

1996-01-01

Few cases of radiation injury related to lengthy interventional neuroradiologic procedures have been reported, although concern has been heightened, as evidenced by a 1994 FDA Public Health Advisory. We report a case of radiation-induced dermatitis in a patient undergoing multiple diagnostic and embolization procedures for treatment of a spinal arteriovenous malformation. (orig.). With 2 figs

Patient dosimetry in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shrimpton, P.C.

2000-01-01

Full text: X-ray examinations remain an essential and widely used diagnostic tool in medicine and hence the most significant source of exposure to man-made radiation for populations. Patterns of practice in diagnostic radiology continue to evolve, with overall growth in the numbers of procedures worldwide and, particularly in developed countries, increasing importance for complex procedures such as computed tomography (CT) and interventional techniques. In order to maximise the benefits from x-rays relative to the associated radiation risks, there is a need to ensure the prior justification of all examinations and the optimisation of patient protection such that doses are as low as reasonably practicable to meet specific clinical requirements. Accordingly, patient dosimetry is a fundamental requirement in diagnostic radiology. Detailed measurements for the assessment of risks or comparison of different types of procedure require the estimation of organ and effective doses. Such comprehensive dosimetry necessarily involves the simulation of clinical practice using anthropomorphic phantoms, with either measurements in a physical phantom or calculations utilising a mathematical phantom. Simpler measurements for the routine monitoring of dose in x-ray departments can be based on practical quantities such as entrance surface dose, dose-area product and, for CT, weighted CT dose index and dose-length product. Widescale surveys reveal significant variations between departments in the typical doses for a given type of procedure and potential scope for dose reductions. In order to promote improvements in practice, the results of periodic dose surveys in departments should be compared with appropriate standards, such as diagnostic reference levels for adult and paediatric patients, that are set nationally or locally for the purposes of promoting critical review of the equipment and techniques in use. Patient dosimetry should form an essential element of routine quality

Patient dose with quality image under diagnostic reference levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akula, Suresh Kumar; Singh, Gurvinder; Chougule, Arun

2016-01-01

Need to set Diagnostic Reference Level (DRL) for locations for all diagnostic procedures in local as compared to National. The review of DRL's should compare local with national or referenced averages and a note made of any significant variances to these averages and the justification for it. To survey and asses radiation doses to patient and reduce the redundancy in patient imaging to maintain DRLs

Effect of respiratory motion on internal radiation dosimetry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xie, Tianwu; Zaidi, Habib

2014-01-01

Purpose: Estimation of the radiation dose to internal organs is essential for the assessment of radiation risks and benefits to patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures including PET. Respiratory motion induces notable internal organ displacement, which influences

Prenatal radiation doses from radiopharmaceuticals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojo, A.M.; Gomez Parada, I.M.; Di Trano, J.L.

1998-01-01

The radiopharmaceutical administration with diagnostic or therapeutic purpose during pregnancy implies a prenatal radiation dose. The dose assessment and the evaluation of the radiological risks become relevant due to the great radiosensitivity of the fetal tissues in development. This paper is a revision of the available data for estimating fetal doses in the cases of the more frequently used radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine, taking into account recent investigation in placental crossover. The more frequent diagnostic and therapeutic procedures were analyzed according to the radiation doses implied. (author) [es

Ionizing radiations used in medical diagnostics as a source of radiation exposure of the Bulgarian population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ingilizova, K.; Vasilev, G.

1998-01-01

X-ray and radionuclide application in medical diagnosing is the major sources of Bulgarian population exposure to ionizing radiations exceeding the radiation background. The number of X-ray examination on a nationwide scale shows an increase from 1600 thousand annually in 1950 to 10300 thousand in 1980 and decreases to about 4700 thousand annually for the period 1992-1993. The frequency for the above mentioned time intervals varies in the range 0.22 to 1.17 examinations per capita annually and decreases to 0.56. The roentgenoscopy to roentgenography ratio varies from 2.5:1 to 0.9:1 (1975) and increases to 2.0:1 (1993). The number of radioisotope examinations increased from 34 thousand in 1970 to 170 thousand annually in 1985 and decreased to about thousand annually in 1992-1993 with a number of studies per capita varying from 0.004 to 0.020 and decreasing to 0.010. In 1993 the annual collective effective dose due to X-ray diagnostics amounts to about 7000 man-Sv/a which exceeds the radiation background exposure by 76%. Radioisotope diagnostics in the period reviewed accounted for nearly 700 man-Sv/a with an exposure exceeding the radiation background by 7.7%. The major problems relating to patient protection and benefit/risk ratio improvement are discussed. (author)

Reduction of scatter radiation during transradial percutaneous coronary angiography: a randomized trial using a lead-free radiation shield.

Science.gov (United States)

Politi, Luigi; Biondi-Zoccai, Giuseppe; Nocetti, Luca; Costi, Tiziana; Monopoli, Daniel; Rossi, Rosario; Sgura, Fabio; Modena, Maria Grazia; Sangiorgi, Giuseppe M

2012-01-01

Occupational radiation exposure is a growing problem due to the increasing number and complexity of interventional procedures performed. Radial artery access has reduced the number of complications at the price of longer procedure duration. Radpad® scatter protection is a sterile, disposable bismuth-barium radiation shield drape that should be able to decrease the dose of operator radiation during diagnostic and interventional procedures. Such radiation shield has never been tested in a randomized study in humans. Sixty consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography by radial approach were randomized 1:1 to Radpad use versus no radiation shield protection. The sterile shield was placed around the area of right radial artery sheath insertion and extended medially to the patient trunk. All diagnostic procedures were performed by the same operator to reduce variability in radiation absorption. Radiation exposure was measured blindly using thermoluminescence dosimeters positioned at the operator's chest, left eye, left wrist, and thyroid. Despite similar fluoroscopy time (3.52 ± 2.71 min vs. 3.46 ± 2.77 min, P = 0.898) and total examination dose (50.5 ± 30.7 vs. 45.8 ± 18.0 Gycm(2), P = 0.231), the mean total radiation exposure to the operator was significantly lower when Radpad was utilized (282.8 ± 32.55 μSv vs. 367.8 ± 105.4 μSv, P Radpad utilization at all body locations ranging from 13 to 34% reduction. This first-in-men randomized trial demonstrates that Radpad significantly reduces occupational radiation exposure during coronary angiography performed through right radial artery access. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Radiation exposure and image quality in X-ray diagnostic radiology. Physical principles and clinical applications. 2. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saebel, Manfred; Aichinger, Horst; Dierker, Joachim; Joite-Barfuss, Sigrid

2012-01-01

Diagnostic X-rays are the largest contributor to radiation exposure to the general population, and protecting the patient from radiation damage is a major aim of modern health policy. Once the decision has been taken to use ionising radiation for imaging in a particular patient, it is necessary to optimize the image acquisition process taking into account the diagnostic quality of the images and the radiation dose to the patient. Both image quality and radiation dose are affected by a number of parameters, knowledge of which permits scientifically based decision making. The authors of this second edition of Radiation Exposure and Image Quality in X-ray Diagnostic Radiology have spent many years studying the optimization of radiological imaging. In this book they present in detail the basic physical principles of diagnostic radiology and their application to clinical problems. Particular attention is devoted to evaluation of the dose to the patient, the influence of scattered radiation on image quality, the use of antiscatter grids, and optimization of image quality and dose. The final section is a supplement containing tables of data and graphical depictions of X-ray spectra, interaction coefficients, characteristics of X-ray beams, and other aspects relevant to patient dose calculations. In addition, a complementary CD-ROM contains a user-friendly Excel file database covering these aspects that can be used in the reader's own programs. Since the first edition, the text, figures, tables, and references have all been thoroughly updated, and more detailed attention is now paid to image quality and radiation exposure when using digital imaging and computed tomography. This book will be an invaluable aid to medical physicists when performing calculations relating to patient dose and image quality, and will also prove useful for diagnostic radiologists and engineers. (orig.)

A non-destructive electron beam diagnostic for a SASE FEL using coherent off-axis undulator radiation

CERN Document Server

Neuman, C P; Barnett, G A; Madey, J M J; O'Shea, P G

1999-01-01

We show that by observing coherent off-axis undulator radiation (COUR) from a short diagnostic wiggler, it may be possible to determine the length and structure of a short electron bunch. Typically the on-axis undulator radiation is incoherent, but at angles of a few degrees, the wavelength of the emitted radiation may be comparable to the length of a short electron bunch, and thus coherence effects emerge. Due to such coherence effects, the intensity of the emitted radiation may change by up to a factor of 10 sup 9 as the angle of observation is increased. The radiation becomes coherent in a way which depends on the length and structure of the electron bunch. Observing COUR disturbs the electron bunch negligibly. Thus, COUR can be used as a non-destructive diagnostic which would allow for optimization of FEL performance while an FEL is operating. Such a diagnostic could be used for proposed SASE FELs, which use short electron bunches. We present two methods to describe the theory for COUR, and we use these m...

A study on enforcement effects of radiation safety control regulations for diagnostic X-ray equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sung, Mo IL; Park, Myeong Hwan; Kwon, Duk Moon; Lee, Joon IL

1999-01-01

The purposes of this study are to analyze the realities after enforcements of safety control regulations for diagnostic X-ray equipment and to suggest means for an improvement of low radiation safety control. A questionnaire survey for medical radiologic technologists was carried out to determine enforcement effects of the safety control regulations. The results of analysis from the survey are as follows. That is, most of he respondents realized the importance of the radiation safety control system, but about a half of them revealed that regulations were not well observed in accordance with their purposes. Only 43.9 percent of the respondents took an active part in quality control of radiation. And responsibility, sex, age, and knowledge for safety control were important indicators for observations of the regulations. Training for the safety control regulations are needed to ensure safety control and proper usage of diagnostic X-ray equipment. And management of organizations using diagnostic X-ray equipment have to understand and stress the importance of radiation safety control system. (author)

Estimated cumulative radiation dose received by diagnostic imaging during staging and treatment of operable Ewing sarcoma 2005-2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnsen, Boel [Haukeland University Hospital, Centre for Nuclear Medicine and PET, Department of Radiology, P.O. Box 1400, Bergen (Norway); Fasmer, Kristine Eldevik [Haukeland University Hospital, Department of Oncology, Medical Physics Section, Bergen (Norway); Boye, Kjetil [Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Department of Oncology, Oslo (Norway); Rosendahl, Karen; Aukland, Stein Magnus [Haukeland University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Paediatric Section, Bergen (Norway); University of Bergen, Department of Clinical Medicine, Bergen (Norway); Trovik, Clement [University of Bergen, Department of Clinical Medicine, Bergen (Norway); Haukeland University Hospital, Department of Surgery, Orthopaedic Section, Bergen (Norway); Biermann, Martin [Haukeland University Hospital, Centre for Nuclear Medicine and PET, Department of Radiology, P.O. Box 1400, Bergen (Norway); University of Bergen, Department of Clinical Medicine, Bergen (Norway)

2017-01-15

Patients with Ewing sarcoma are subject to various diagnostic procedures that incur exposure to ionising radiation. To estimate the radiation doses received from all radiologic and nuclear imaging episodes during diagnosis and treatment, and to determine whether {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography - computed tomography ({sup 18}F-FDG PET-CT) is a major contributor of radiation. Twenty Ewing sarcoma patients diagnosed in Norway in 2005-2012 met the inclusion criteria (age <30 years, operable disease, uncomplicated chemotherapy and surgery, no metastasis or residual disease within a year of diagnosis). Radiation doses from all imaging during the first year were calculated for each patient. The mean estimated cumulative radiation dose for all patients was 34 mSv (range: 6-70), radiography accounting for 3 mSv (range: 0.2-12), CT for 13 mSv (range: 2-28) and nuclear medicine for 18 mSv (range: 2-47). For the patients examined with PET-CT, the mean estimated cumulative effective dose was 38 mSv, of which PET-CT accounted for 14 mSv (37%). There was large variation in number and type of examinations performed and also in estimated cumulative radiation dose. The mean radiation dose for patients examined with PET-CT was 23% higher than for patients not examined with PET-CT. (orig.)

A study of radiological protection for women of reproductive age in diagnostic radiology. Questionnaire for medical radiation technologists

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsubone, Chie; Ban, Nobuhiko; Kai, Michiaki

2005-01-01

There has been great concern regarding the radiation protection for women of reproductive age when exposed to diagnostic radiation. The 10-day-rule proposed by the ICRP has not been recommended since 1983 because the risk to embryo and fetus within four weeks after menstruation may be small. However, some expects see that incomplete abandon of the 10-day-rule might cause confusion among the medical doctors and patients, and consequently unwarranted abortion happens. This paper surveyed the views of radiation technologies in hospitals and discussed how radiation exposure of women of reproductive age in medicine should be controlled. We found that the views to be 10-day-rule were spilt 50:50 and that radiation technologists do not necessarily think the 10-day-rule should be abandoned. Even the radiation technologists who are supposed to be able to explain to the patients the health risk following diagnostic exposure do not fully understand the risk involved. In conclusion, although a low-dose risk of diagnostic exposure should be sufficiently educated in order to obtain an exact understanding, the 10-day-rule may be useful in order to actually avoid any trouble in diagnostic radiology. (author)

Quantitative evaluation of risks for individuals in diagnostic radiology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iinuma, T A; Tateno, Y; Hashizume, T [National Inst. of Radiological Sciences, Chiba (Japan)

1980-05-01

A method to estimate quantitatively risks of individual patients due to exposure to diagnostic radiation (carcinogenetic and genetic effects of radiation) was proposed on the basis of ICRP-26. Carcinogenetic effect of radiation was calculated by multiplying mean dose equivalent for each organ per each radiological examination by shortening of average life-expectancy which was calculated from incidence of fetal carcinoma of each organ, latent period of carcinoma, and incidence period of carcinoma. Genetic effect of radiation was calculated by multiplying mean dose equivalent for gonad per each radiological examination by incidence of genetically severe radiation damages due to parent's exposure and child expectancy rate. Three examples were shown on calculations of risks in the photofluorographic examinations of the stomach and chest, and mammography. The same method of calculation could be applied to the in-vivo nuclear medicine examinations. Further investigation was required to calculate the risks quantitatively for various types of diagnostic procedures using radiation.

Quantitative evaluation of risks for individuals in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iinuma, T.A.; Tateno, Yukio; Hashizume, Tadashi

1980-01-01

A method to estimate quantitatively risks of individual patients due to exposure to diagnostic radiation (carcinogenetic and genetic effects of radiation) was proposed on the basis of ICRP-26. Carcinogenetic effect of radiation was calculated by multiplying mean dose equivalent for each organ per each radiological examination by shortening of average life-expectancy which was calculated from incidence of fetal carcinoma of each organ, latent period of carcinoma, and incidence period of carcinoma. Genetic effect of radiation was calculated by multiplying mean dose equivalent for gonad per each radiological examination by incidence of genetically severe radiation damages due to parent's exposure and child expectancy rate. Three examples were shown on calculations of risks in the photofluorographic examinations of the stomach and chest, and mammography. The same method of calculation could be applied to the in-vivo nuclear medicine examinations. Further investigation was required to calculate the risks quantitatively for various types of diagnostic procedures using radiation. (Tsunoda, M.)

An observation study of radiation exposure to nurses during interventional radiology procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komemushi, Atsushi; Tanigawa, Noboru; Aoki, Atsuko

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to prospectively measure the level of radiation exposure among nursing staff during interventional radiology procedures. All interventional radiology procedures performed at our institution between April 20 and June 19, 2009 were included in this study. Radiation exposure was measured as the equivalent dose penetrating tissue to a depth of 10 mm using electronic personal dosimeters attached outside (Ha) and inside (Hb) lead aprons. Effective dose (HE) was estimated by calculating from Ha and Hb. In total, data from 68 procedures were included in this study. Four nurses performed 71 nursing cares. The mean Ha was 0.70±1.0 μSv, while the mean Hb was 0.06±0.2 μSv. The mean HE was 0.14±0.3 μSv. The present findings indicate that during interventional radiology procedures, nurses were exposed to very low levels of radiation. (author)

Assessment of medical radiation exposure to patients and ambient doses in several diagnostic radiology departments

Science.gov (United States)

Sulieman, A.; Elhadi, T.; Babikir, E.; Alkhorayef, M.; Alnaaimi, M.; Alduaij, M.; Bradley, D. A.

2017-11-01

In many countries diagnostic medical exposures typically account for a very large fraction of the collective effective dose that can be assigned to anthropological sources and activities. This in part flags up the question of whether sufficient steps are being taken in regard to potential dose saving from such medical services. As a first step, one needs to survey doses to compare against those of best practice. The present study has sought evaluation of the radiation protection status and patient doses for certain key radiological procedures in four film-based radiology departments within Sudan. The radiation exposure survey, carried out using a survey meter and quality control test tools, involved a total of 299 patients their examinations being carried out at one or other of these four departments. The entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) was determined from exposure settings using DosCal software and an Unfors -Xi-meter. The mean ESAK for x-ray examination of the chest was 0.30±0.1 mGy, for the skull it was 0.96±0.7 mGy, for the abdomen 0.85±0.01 mGy, for spinal procedures 1.30±0.6 mGy and for procedures involving the limbs it was 0.43±0.3 mGy. Ambient dose-rates in the reception area, at the closed door of the x-ray room, recorded instantaneous values of up to 100 μSv/h. In regard to protection, the associated levels were found to be acceptable in three of the four departments, corrective action being required for one department, regular quality control also being recommended.

Diagnostic radiology dosimetry: status and trends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rivera M, T.

2015-10-01

Full text: Medical radiation is by far the largest man-made source of public exposure to ionizing radiation. Since 1970 the expression of protection standards shifted from a dose- to a risk-based approach, with dose limits established to yield risks to radiation workers comparable with those for workers in other safe industries. Another hand, worldwide interest in patient dose measurement was stimulated by the publication of Patient Dose Reduction in Diagnostic Radiology by the UK National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). In response to heightened awareness of the importance of patient dose contributed by radiology procedures, there has been a general trend to effect control of patient doses by applying the principles of optimization coupled with an increase in regulatory enforcement. In this sense, thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) has been actively proposed in the last 3 decades thanks to their successful applications in diagnostic radiology. At the same time, it is emerged as the best radiation dosimetry method. The present work presents advantages of thermoluminescent dosimetry for X-ray beams measurements and its optimization. (Author)

Diagnostic radiology dosimetry: status and trends

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rivera M, T., E-mail: trivera@ipn.mx [IPN, Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Av. Legaria 694, 11500 Mexico D. F. (Mexico)

2015-10-15

Full text: Medical radiation is by far the largest man-made source of public exposure to ionizing radiation. Since 1970 the expression of protection standards shifted from a dose- to a risk-based approach, with dose limits established to yield risks to radiation workers comparable with those for workers in other safe industries. Another hand, worldwide interest in patient dose measurement was stimulated by the publication of Patient Dose Reduction in Diagnostic Radiology by the UK National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). In response to heightened awareness of the importance of patient dose contributed by radiology procedures, there has been a general trend to effect control of patient doses by applying the principles of optimization coupled with an increase in regulatory enforcement. In this sense, thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) has been actively proposed in the last 3 decades thanks to their successful applications in diagnostic radiology. At the same time, it is emerged as the best radiation dosimetry method. The present work presents advantages of thermoluminescent dosimetry for X-ray beams measurements and its optimization. (Author)

Radiation doses in endoscopic interventional procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsapaki, V.; Paraskeva, K.; Mathou, N.; Aggelogiannopoulou, P.; Triantopoulou, C.; Karagianis, J.; Giannakopoulos, A.; Paspatis, G.; Voudoukis, E.; Athanasopoulos, N.; Lydakis, I.; Scotiniotis, H.; Georgopoulos, P.; Finou, P.; Kadiloru, E.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Extensive literature exists on patient radiation doses in various interventional procedures. This does not stand for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) where the literature is very limited. This study compares patient dose during ERCP procedures performed with different types of X-ray systems. Methods and Materials: Four hospitals participated in the study with the following X-ray systems: A) X-ray conventional system (X-ray tube over table), 137 pts, B) X-ray conventional system (X-ray tube under table), 114 pts, C) C-arm system, 79 pts, and D) angiography system, 57 pts. A single experienced endoscopist performed the ERCP in each hospital. Kerma Area Product (KAP), fluoroscopy time (T) and total number of X-ray films (F) were collected. Results: Median patient dose was 6.2 Gy.cm 2 (0.02-130.2 Gy.cm 2 ). Medium linear correlation between KAP and T (0.6) and F (0.4) were observed. Patient doses were 33 % higher than the reference value in UK (4.15 Gy.cm 2 with a sample of 6089 patients). Median KAP for each hospital was: A) 3.1, B) 9.2, C) 3.9 and D) 6.2 Gy.cm 2 . Median T was: A) 2.6, B) 4.1, C) 2.8 and D) 3.4 min. Median F was: A) 2, B) 7, C) 2 and D) 2 films. Conclusion: Patient radiation dose during ERCP depends on: a) fluoroscopy time and films taken, b) the type of the X-ray system used, with the C arm and the conventional over the couch systems carrying the lower patient radiation dose and the angiography system the higher. (authors)

Evaluation of Patient Radiation Dose during Cardiac Interventional Procedures: What Is the Most Effective Method?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chida, K.; Saito, H.; Ishibashi, T.; Zuguchi, M.; Kagaya, Y.; Takahashi, S.

2009-01-01

Cardiac interventional radiology has lower risks than surgical procedures. This is despite the fact that radiation doses from cardiac intervention procedures are the highest of any commonly performed general X-ray examination. Maximum radiation skin doses (MSDs) should be determined to avoid radiation-associated skin injuries in patients undergoing cardiac intervention procedures. However, real-time evaluation of MSD is unavailable for many cardiac intervention procedures. This review describes methods of determining MSD during cardiac intervention procedures. Currently, in most cardiac intervention procedures, real-time measuring of MSD is not feasible. Thus, we recommend that physicians record the patient's total entrance skin dose, such as the dose at the interventional reference point when it can be monitored, in order to estimate MSD in intervention procedures

Diagnostic Dental Radiation Risk during Pregnancy: Awareness among General Dentists in Tabriz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tahmineh Razi

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Background and aims. Pregnant women often do not receive proper dental care in emergency visits due to a lack of awareness of the effect of radiation doses and the involved risks for the fetus. The aim of the present study was to assess the awareness of general dentists practicing in Tabriz, Iran, of the risks involved during exposure to diagnostic dental radiation in pregnant women. Materials and methods. In this descriptive/cross-sectional study, 250 general dentists, who had attended continuing education courses under the supervision of the Faculty of Dentistry, filled out questionnaires on their awareness of radiation risks. Data was analyzed by Spearman's correlation coefficient test. Results. The mean of correct answers was 6.47±1.66, with the least and highest correct answers of 2 and 10, respectively. The highest and the lowest levels of awareness were related to the use of a lead apron (92% and a long rectangular collimator (3.2%, respectively. There was a statistically significant correlation between the age of practitioners and awareness of radiation risks (P=0.02. However, no statistically significant correlation was observed between job experience (P=0.25 and the number of continuing education courses attended (P=0.16 and awareness of radiation risks. Conclusion. The studied population of dentists does not seem to have the sufficient knowledge regarding the diagnostic dental radiation risk during pregnancy. Further educational courses and pamphlets are recommended for increasing their awareness of this subject.

The impact of microwave stray radiation to in-vessel diagnostic components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirsch, M.; Laqua, H. P.; Hathiramani, D.; Baldzuhn, J.; Biedermann, C.; Cardella, A.; Erckmann, V.; König, R.; Köppen, M.; Zhang, D. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Teilinstitut Greifswald, EURATOM Association, D-17489 Greifswald (Germany); Oosterbeek, J.; Brand, H. von der; Parquay, S. [Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, department Technische Natuurkunde, working group for Plasma Physics and Radiation Technology, Den Doelch 2, 5612 AZ Eindhoven (Netherlands); Jimenez, R. [Centro de Investigationes Energeticas, Medioambientales y Technológicas, Association EURATOM/CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 22, Madrid 28040 (Spain); Collaboration: W7-X Teasm

2014-08-21

Microwave stray radiation resulting from unabsorbed multiple reflected ECRH / ECCD beams may cause severe heating of microwave absorbing in-vessel components such as gaskets, bellows, windows, ceramics and cable insulations. In view of long-pulse operation of WENDELSTEIN-7X the MIcrowave STray RAdiation Launch facility, MISTRAL, allows to test in-vessel components in the environment of isotropic 140 GHz microwave radiation at power load of up to 50 kW/m{sup 2} over 30 min. The results show that both, sufficient microwave shielding measures and cooling of all components are mandatory. If shielding/cooling measures of in-vessel diagnostic components are not efficient enough, the level of stray radiation may be (locally) reduced by dedicated absorbing ceramic coatings on cooled structures.

Radiation and your patient: A guide for medical practitioners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valentin, Jack; )

2002-01-01

This didactic text is devoted to patients' protection against unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation. There are obvious benefits to health from medical uses of radiation, i.e. in X-ray diagnostics, in interventional radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. However, there are well-established risks from improperly applied high doses of radiation (therapy, interventional radiology) and possible deleterious effects from small radiation doses used in diagnostics). Appropriate use of large doses prevents serious harm from therapy, but low doses carry a risk that cannot be entirely eliminated. Diagnostic use of radiation requires therefore such methodology that would secure high diagnostic gains while limiting the possible harm to the lowest possible level. The text provides ample information on opportunities to minimize the doses, and therefore the risk from diagnostic uses of radiation. This objective may be reached by avoiding unnecessary (unjustified) examinations, and optimizing the applied procedures both from the standpoint of diagnostic quality and of reduction of the excessive doses to patients. Optimization of patient protection in radiotherapy must depend on maintaining sufficiently high doses to irradiated tumours, securing a high cure rate, while protecting the healthy tissues to the largest extent possible. Problems related to special protection of human embryo and foetus in course of diagnostic and therapeutic uses of radiation are presented and respective practical solutions are recommended

A non-destructive electron beam diagnostic for a SASE FEL using coherent off-axis undulator radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neuman, C.P.; Ponds, M.L.; Barnett, G.A.; Madey, J.M.J.; O'Shea, P.G.

1999-01-01

We show that by observing coherent off-axis undulator radiation (COUR) from a short diagnostic wiggler, it may be possible to determine the length and structure of a short electron bunch. Typically the on-axis undulator radiation is incoherent, but at angles of a few degrees, the wavelength of the emitted radiation may be comparable to the length of a short electron bunch, and thus coherence effects emerge. Due to such coherence effects, the intensity of the emitted radiation may change by up to a factor of 10 9 as the angle of observation is increased. The radiation becomes coherent in a way which depends on the length and structure of the electron bunch. Observing COUR disturbs the electron bunch negligibly. Thus, COUR can be used as a non-destructive diagnostic which would allow for optimization of FEL performance while an FEL is operating. Such a diagnostic could be used for proposed SASE FELs, which use short electron bunches. We present two methods to describe the theory for COUR, and we use these methods to calculate the expected outcome of a COUR experiment. We propose an experiment to demonstrate COUR effects and their applications to SASE FELs

Radiation education in medical and Co-medical schools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koga, Sukehiko

2005-01-01

In the medical field, ionizing radiation is very widely in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, Around 60% of environmental radiation, including natural background and man-made sources of radiation, is caused from medical exposure in Japan. Education of radiation in medical ad co-medical schools are mainly aimed to how effectively use the radiation, and the time shared to fundamental physics, biology and safety or protection of radiation is not so much. (author)

Synthetic radiation diagnostics in PIConGPU. Integrating spectral detectors into particle-in-cell codes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pausch, Richard; Burau, Heiko; Huebl, Axel; Steiniger, Klaus [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (Germany); Technische Universitaet Dresden (Germany); Debus, Alexander; Widera, Rene; Bussmann, Michael [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (Germany)

2016-07-01

We present the in-situ far field radiation diagnostics in the particle-in-cell code PIConGPU. It was developed to close the gap between simulated plasma dynamics and radiation observed in laser plasma experiments. Its predictive capabilities, both qualitative and quantitative, have been tested against analytical models. Now, we apply this synthetic spectral diagnostics to investigate plasma dynamics in laser wakefield acceleration, laser foil irradiation and plasma instabilities. Our method is based on the far field approximation of the Lienard-Wiechert potential and allows predicting both coherent and incoherent radiation spectrally from infrared to X-rays. Its capability to resolve the radiation polarization and to determine the temporal and spatial origin of the radiation enables us to correlate specific spectral signatures with characteristic dynamics in the plasma. Furthermore, its direct integration into the highly-scalable GPU framework of PIConGPU allows computing radiation spectra for thousands of frequencies, hundreds of detector positions and billions of particles efficiently. In this talk we will demonstrate these capabilities on resent simulations of laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) and high harmonics generation during target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA).

New image-processing and noise-reduction software reduces radiation dose during complex endovascular procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkwood, Melissa L; Guild, Jeffrey B; Arbique, Gary M; Tsai, Shirling; Modrall, J Gregory; Anderson, Jon A; Rectenwald, John; Timaran, Carlos

2016-11-01

A new proprietary image-processing system known as AlluraClarity, developed by Philips Healthcare (Best, The Netherlands) for radiation-based interventional procedures, claims to lower radiation dose while preserving image quality using noise-reduction algorithms. This study determined whether the surgeon and patient radiation dose during complex endovascular procedures (CEPs) is decreased after the implementation of this new operating system. Radiation dose to operators, procedure type, reference air kerma, kerma area product, and patient body mass index were recorded during CEPs on two Philips Allura FD 20 fluoroscopy systems with and without Clarity. Operator dose during CEPs was measured using optically stimulable, luminescent nanoDot (Landauer Inc, Glenwood, Ill) detectors placed outside the lead apron at the left upper chest position. nanoDots were read using a microStar ii (Landauer Inc) medical dosimetry system. For the CEPs in the Clarity group, the radiation dose to surgeons was also measured by the DoseAware (Philips Healthcare) personal dosimetry system. Side-by-side measurements of DoseAware and nanoDots allowed for cross-calibration between systems. Operator effective dose was determined using a modified Niklason algorithm. To control for patient size and case complexity, the average fluoroscopy dose rate and the dose per radiographic frame were adjusted for body mass index differences and then compared between the groups with and without Clarity by procedure. Additional factors, for example, physician practice patterns, that may have affected operator dose were inferred by comparing the ratio of the operator dose to procedural kerma area product with and without Clarity. A one-sided Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare groups for radiation doses, reference air kermas, and operating practices for each procedure type. The analysis included 234 CEPs; 95 performed without Clarity and 139 with Clarity. Practice patterns of operators during

The establishment of local diagnostic reference levels for paediatric interventional cardiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McFadden, S.; Hughes, C.; D'Helft, C.I.; McGee, A.; Rainford, L.; Brennan, P.C.; McCrum-Gardner, E.; Winder, R.J.

2013-01-01

Background: There is a paucity of information worldwide on radiation exposure in paediatric interventional cardiology. At present Nationally established Diagnostic Reference Levels exist for adult interventional cardiology procedures in the UK but little data is available for paediatrics. In addition, interventional cardiology has been identified as one the highest contributors to medical exposure to ionising radiation and children are more radiosensitive than adults. Objective: This study sought to determine current radiation dose levels in paediatric interventional cardiology (IC) with a view to establishing local diagnostic reference levels (LDRL). Methods: Radiation dose and examination details were recorded for 354 paediatric patients examined by IC in a specialised paediatric centre in Europe. Radiation doses were recorded using a Dose Area Product meter along with examination details. Procedures were categorised as either diagnostic (A) or therapeutic (B). Data was further sub-divided into five age ranges; (1) newborn <1 year (2) 1 <5 years (3) 5 <10 years (4) 10 <15 years (5) 15 years and over. Proposed LDRL were calculated from the mean dose area product readings. Results: The mean patient age was 2.6 years (range 0.0 days–16 years) and weight was 14.9 kg (range 2.4–112 kg). LDRL for the five age groupings were calculated as 190, 421, 582, 1289 and 1776 cGycm² respectively. Conclusion: Local dose reference levels have been proposed for paediatric IC and can be used as a benchmark for other hospitals to compare against their own radiation doses

Internal qualification and credentialing of radiation oncology physicists to perform patient special procedures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael D Mills

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the arena of radiation oncology special procedures, medical physicists are often the focus professionals for implementation and administration of advanced and complex technologies. One of the most vexing and challenging aspects of managing complexity concerns the ongoing internal qualification and credentialing of radiation oncology physicists to perform patient special procedures. To demonstrate ongoing qualification, a physicist must a document initial training and successful completion of competencies to implement and perform this procedure, b demonstrate familiarity with all aspects of the commissioning and quality assurance process, c demonstrate continuing education respecting this procedure, d demonstrate the peer-reviewed completion of a minimum number of patient special procedures during a specified time span, and e demonstrate satisfactory overall progress toward maintenance of specialty board certification. In many respects, this information complement is similar to that required by an accredited residency program in therapy physics. In this investigation, we report on the design of a management tool to qualify staff radiation oncology physicists to deliver patient procedures.

Assessment of Patients Radiation Dose During Interventional Radiological Procedure in PPUKM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Khalid Matori; Husaini Salleh; Muhammad Jamal Muhammad Isa

2014-01-01

Interventional Radiology (IR) is a relatively new subspecialty of radiology. It is subspecialty where minimally invasive procedures are performed under radiological guidance using X-ray. This procedure can deliver high radiation doses compared with other radiological method due to long screening time. Because of these it is important to determine radiation doses received by patients undergoing IR procedures. It is to ensure that the dose is within the range deemed to be saved. A total of 128 patients undergoing IR procedures in PPUKM between 2012 and 2013 were study retrospectively. Dose area product (DAP) meter were used to measure the integral dose for the whole procedures. Mean kerma-area products for abdomen, head, pelvis, and thorax were 243.1, 107.3, 39.05 and 45.7 Gycm 2 , respectively. This study may provide the useful information which can be use to establish baseline patient dose data for dose optimizing study and carried out a recommendation on effective method of patient dose reduction during IR procedures. A more detail results of this study are presented in this paper. (author)

Good Medicine, Good Health: The IAEA Promotes Radiation Protection of Patients and Health Professionals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henriques, Sasha

2014-01-01

Medical radiation exposure in the form of computed tomography scans, X-rays, fluoroscopy and positron emission tomography scans are the greatest source of exposure to man-made sources of ionizing radiation. According to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), more than 10 million diagnostic radiology procedures and 100 000 diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures are performed every day. In addition, around five million radiotherapy treatments are given annually. The use of radiation in medicine is one of the greatest medical discoveries of the past 120 years. Its use has vastly improved our understanding of the body’s processes and functions, as well as our ability to diagnose and cure diseases

Development of X-ray tracer diagnostics for radiatively-driven ablator experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacFarlane, J.J.; Cohen, D.H.; Wang, P.; Moses, G.A.; Peterson, R.R.; Jaanimagi, P.A.; Langen, O.L.; Olson, R.E.; Murphy, T.J.; Magelssen, G.R.; Delamater, N.D.

1999-01-01

This report covers fiscal year 1998 of our ongoing project to develop tracer X-ray spectroscopic diagnostics for hohlraum environments. This effort focused on an experimental campaign carried out at OMEGA on 25--27 August 1998. This phase of the project heavily emphasized experimental design, diagnostic development, and target fabrication, as well as building up numerical models for the experiments. The spectral diagnostic under development involves using two thin (few 1000 Angstroem) mid-Z tracers in two witness plates mounted on the side of a hohlraum with the tracers' K a absorption features seen against an X-ray backlighter. The absorption data are used to sample the time-dependent, localized properties of each witness plate as a radiation wave ablates it. The experiments represented the first application of this diagnostic, in this case to side-by-side doped and undoped plastic to investigate the effects of capsule ablator dopants

The Swedish radiation protection institute's regulations on x-ray diagnostics; issued on April 28, 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-04-01

These regulations are applicable to practices with ionising radiation with respect to medical and dental diagnostics by means of external radiation sources like x-rays or radioactive substances. The regulations are also applicable to medical or dental use of such radiation sources for planning and guidance, for research and for legal and insurance related examinations

Diagnostic criterions of the postradiation encephalopathy in remote period of the acute radiation syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyagu, A.I.; Loganovskij, K.N.; Vashchenko, E.A.

1998-01-01

Development of post-radiation encephalopathy diagnostic criteria on the base of neuro psychic, neuro- and psychofisiological research in patients who suffered with acute radiation disease after Chernobyl catastrophe was the aim of this work. 110 persons of 20-75 years age were investigated. 55 refs., 6 tab., 6 figs

Recommendations to improve radiation safety during invasive cardiovascular procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miranda, Patricia; Ubeda, Carlos; Vano, Eliseo; Nocetti, Diego

2014-01-01

In this paper we present guidelines aimed to improve radiation safety during invasive cardiovascular procedures. Unwanted effects upon patients and medical personnel are conventionally classified. A program of Quality Assurance is proposed, an aspect of which is a program for radiologic protection, including operator protection, radiation monitoring, shielding and personnel training. Permanent and specific actions should be taken at every cardiovascular lab, before, during and after interventions. In order to implement these guidelines and actions, a fundamental step is a review of current legislation. Specific programs for quality control and radiologic protection along with a definition of acceptable radiation exposure doses are required

Monitoring radiation use in cardiac fluoroscopy imaging procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, Nathaniel T.; Steiner, Stefan H.; Smith, Ian R.; MacKay, R. Jock

2011-01-01

Purpose: Timely identification of systematic changes in radiation delivery of an imaging system can lead to a reduction in risk for the patients involved. However, existing quality assurance programs involving the routine testing of equipment performance using phantoms are limited in their ability to effectively carry out this task. To address this issue, the authors propose the implementation of an ongoing monitoring process that utilizes procedural data to identify unexpected large or small radiation exposures for individual patients, as well as to detect persistent changes in the radiation output of imaging platforms. Methods: Data used in this study were obtained from records routinely collected during procedures performed in the cardiac catheterization imaging facility at St. Andrew's War Memorial Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, over the period January 2008-March 2010. A two stage monitoring process employing individual and exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control charts was developed and used to identify unexpectedly high or low radiation exposure levels for individual patients, as well as detect persistent changes in the radiation output delivered by the imaging systems. To increase sensitivity of the charts, we account for variation in dose area product (DAP) values due to other measured factors (patient weight, fluoroscopy time, and digital acquisition frame count) using multiple linear regression. Control charts are then constructed using the residual values from this linear regression. The proposed monitoring process was evaluated using simulation to model the performance of the process under known conditions. Results: Retrospective application of this technique to actual clinical data identified a number of cases in which the DAP result could be considered unexpected. Most of these, upon review, were attributed to data entry errors. The charts monitoring the overall system radiation output trends demonstrated changes in equipment performance

Monitoring radiation use in cardiac fluoroscopy imaging procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stevens, Nathaniel T.; Steiner, Stefan H.; Smith, Ian R.; MacKay, R. Jock [Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, Business and Industrial Statistics Research Group, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada); St. Andrew' s Medical Institute, St. Andrew' s War Memorial Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 (Australia); Department of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, Business and Industrial Statistics Research Group, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada)

2011-01-15

Purpose: Timely identification of systematic changes in radiation delivery of an imaging system can lead to a reduction in risk for the patients involved. However, existing quality assurance programs involving the routine testing of equipment performance using phantoms are limited in their ability to effectively carry out this task. To address this issue, the authors propose the implementation of an ongoing monitoring process that utilizes procedural data to identify unexpected large or small radiation exposures for individual patients, as well as to detect persistent changes in the radiation output of imaging platforms. Methods: Data used in this study were obtained from records routinely collected during procedures performed in the cardiac catheterization imaging facility at St. Andrew's War Memorial Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, over the period January 2008-March 2010. A two stage monitoring process employing individual and exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control charts was developed and used to identify unexpectedly high or low radiation exposure levels for individual patients, as well as detect persistent changes in the radiation output delivered by the imaging systems. To increase sensitivity of the charts, we account for variation in dose area product (DAP) values due to other measured factors (patient weight, fluoroscopy time, and digital acquisition frame count) using multiple linear regression. Control charts are then constructed using the residual values from this linear regression. The proposed monitoring process was evaluated using simulation to model the performance of the process under known conditions. Results: Retrospective application of this technique to actual clinical data identified a number of cases in which the DAP result could be considered unexpected. Most of these, upon review, were attributed to data entry errors. The charts monitoring the overall system radiation output trends demonstrated changes in equipment

An economic evaluation of the use of rare-earth screens to reduce the radiation dose from diagnostic x-ray procedures in Israel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ginzburg, G.M.; Schlesinger, T.; Ben-Shlomo, A.

1996-01-01

In contrasts, reducing the patient dose by using improved radiology equipment will often result in a constant reduction without further managerial effort for the lifetime of the equipment. Changing equipment is administratively far easier than altering long-established work practices. There are several methods available to achieve dose reduction in diagnostic radiology via this second category. For example, dose reductions of between 10% and 20% can be achieved independently by reducing attenuation between patient and image receptor to a minimum by means of carbon fiber components in couch tops, cassette fronts and anti-scatter grids [13-15]. Radiation dosage in film radiography can be reduced by approximately 50% by the use of rare- earth screens, which enable a faster film speed to be utilized (thus reducing exposure time) without significant loss in the diagnostic quality of the image. Rare-earth screens have been found in England to be the most cost-effective method of reducing dosage in film radiography, providing large dose reductions at considerably lower costs than carbon fiber components (authors)

An economic evaluation of the use of rare-earth screens to reduce the radiation dose from diagnostic x-ray procedures in Israel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ginzburg, G M [Ministry of Health, Tel Aviv (Israel); Schlesinger, T; Ben-Shlomo, A [Israel Atomic Energy Commission, Yavne (Israel). Soreq Nuclear Research Center

1996-12-01

In contrasts, reducing the patient dose by using improved radiology equipment will often result in a constant reduction without further managerial effort for the lifetime of the equipment. Changing equipment is administratively far easier than altering long-established work practices. There are several methods available to achieve dose reduction in diagnostic radiology via this second category. For example, dose reductions of between 10% and 20% can be achieved independently by reducing attenuation between patient and image receptor to a minimum by means of carbon fiber components in couch tops, cassette fronts and anti-scatter grids [13-15]. Radiation dosage in film radiography can be reduced by approximately 50% by the use of rare- earth screens, which enable a faster film speed to be utilized (thus reducing exposure time) without significant loss in the diagnostic quality of the image. Rare-earth screens have been found in England to be the most cost-effective method of reducing dosage in film radiography, providing large dose reductions at considerably lower costs than carbon fiber components (authors).

Value of noninvasive diagnostic procedures in cardiology: typical findings in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riebeling, V.; Bubenheimer, P.

1984-01-01

Routine chest X-ray often yields poor information for diagnosis of heart disease. The diagnostic value of invasive procedures in cardiology is generally accepted. The patient's as well as the physician's risk of the examination, however, has to be considered. A high number of heart diseases, e.g. hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is mainly detected by noninvasive procedures such as auscultation, electrocardiography, phonomechanocardiography, echocardiography, physical manoeuvres, and pharmacological provocation tests. Typical findings in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy are demonstrated. (orig.) [de

Radiation dose electrophysiology procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez-Armas, J.; Rodriguez, A.; Catalan, A.; Hernandez Armas, O.; Luque Japon, L.; Moral, S.; Barroso, L.; Rfuez-Hdez, R.

2006-01-01

The aim of this paper has been to measure and analyse some of the parameters which are directly related with the doses given to patients in two electrophysiology procedures: diagnosis and ablation with radiofrequency. 16 patients were considered in this study. 13 them had an ablation with radiofrequency at the Unit of Electrophysiology at the University Hospital of the Canaries, La Laguna., Tenerife. The results of skin doses, in the ablation cases, were higher than 2 Gy (threshold of some deterministic effects). The average value was 1.1 Gy. The personal doses, measured under the lead apron, for physician and nurses were 4 and 3 micro Sievert. These results emphasised the necessity of radiation protection measures in order to reduce, ad much as possible, the doses to patients. (Author)

Diagnostic system for EUV radiation measurements from dense xenon plasma generated by MPC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrov, Yu.V.; Garkusha, I.E.; Solyakov, D.G.; Marchenko, A.K.; Chebotarev, V.V.; Ladygina, M.S.; Staltsov, V.V.; Yelisyeyev, D.V.; Hassanein, A.

2011-01-01

Magnetoplasma compressor (MPC) of compact geometry has been designed and tested as a source of EUV radiation. In present paper diagnostic system for registration of EUV radiation is described. It was applied for radiation measurements in different operation modes of MPC. The registration system was designed on the base of combination of different types of AXUV photodiodes. Possibility to minimize the influence of electrons and ions flows from dense plasma stream on AXUV detector performance and results of the measurements has been discussed.

Radiation Safety Awareness Among Medical Staff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szarmach, Arkadiusz; Piskunowicz, Maciej; Świętoń, Dominik; Muc, Adam; Mockałło, Gabor; Dzierżanowski, Jarosław; Szurowska, Edyta

2015-01-01

The common access to imaging methods based on ionizing radiation requires also radiation protection. The knowledge of ionizing radiation exposure risks among the medical staff is essential for planning diagnostic procedures and therapy. Evaluation of the knowledge of radiation safety during diagnostic procedures among the medical staff. The study consisted of a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire consisted of seven closed-ended questions concerning the knowledge of the effects of exposure to ionizing radiation as well as questions related to responder’s profession and work experience. The study group included a total of 150 individuals from four professional groups: nurses, doctors, medical technicians, support staff. The study was carried out in the three largest hospitals in Gdańsk between July and October 2013. The highest rates of correct answers to questions related to the issue of radiation protection were provided by the staff of radiology facilities and emergency departments with 1–5 years of professional experience. The most vulnerable group in terms of the knowledge of these issues consisted of individuals working at surgical wards with 11–15 years of professional experience. Education in the field of radiological protection should be a subject of periodic training of medical personnel regardless of position and length of service

New perineal injection technique for pudendal nerve infiltration in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weinschenk, Stefan; Hollmann, Markus W.; Strowitzki, Thomas

2016-01-01

Pudendal nerve injection is used as a diagnostic procedure in the vulvar region and for therapeutic purposes, such as in vulvodynia. Here, we provide a new, easy-to-perform perineal injection technique. We analyzed 105 perineal injections into the pudendal nerve with a local anesthetic (LA),

Assessment of patient radiation doses during routine diagnostic radiography examinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adam, Asim Karam Aldden Adam

2015-11-01

Medical applications of radiation represent the largest source of exposure to general population. Accounting for 3.0 mSv against an estimated 2.4 mSv from a natural back ground in United States. The association of ionizing radiation an cancer risk is assumed to be continuos and graded over the entire range of exposure, The objective of this study is to evaluate the patient radiation doses in radiology departments in Khartoum state. A total of 840 patients ? during two in the following hospitals Khartoum Teaching Hospital (260 patients), Fedail specialized hospital ( 261 patients). National Ribat University hospital ( 189 patients) and Engaz hospital (130 patients). Patient doses were measured for 9 procedures. The Entrance surface Air Kerma (ESAK) was quantified using x-ray unit output by Unifiers xi dose rate meter( Un fore inc. Billdal. Sweden) and patient exposure parameters. The mean patient age. Weight and Body Mass index (BMI) were 42.6 year 58/4 kg and 212 kg/m respectively. The mean patient doses, kv and MAS and E.q was 0.35 mGy per procedures 59.9 volt 19.8 Ampere per second 0.32 Sv . Patient doses were comparable with previous studies. Patient radiation doses showed considerable difference between hospitals due to x- ray systems exposure settings and patient weight. Patient are exposed to unnecessary radiation.(Author)

Indications and new diagnostic techniques in micturating cystourethrographic studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuster, W.; Bruenger, J.

1978-01-01

Urological radiographic procedures on children are of great importance. The frequency of examinations is comparable to the number of Gl tract studies. In diagnosing chronically recurrent urinary tract infections, micturating cystourethrography is a valuable addition to excretory urography. Indications and performance of micturating cystourethrography at juvenile age are described. All measures reducing radiation exposure must be taken into consideration. New technological devices grant improved diagnostic information with a minimal radiation exposure for patients. (orig.) [de

Radiation protection of patients in general diagnostic radiology in Lithuania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morkunas, G.; Ziliukas, J.

2001-01-01

The situation in control of exposure due to general diagnostic radiological examinations in Lithuania is described. Experience in creation of legal basis for radiation protection, results of measurements of patients' doses and quality control tests of x-ray units are given. The main problems encountered in implementation of international recommendations and requirements of European Medical Exposure Directive are discussed. (author)

From 'Image Gently' to image intelligently: a personalized perspective on diagnostic radiation risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillerman, R.P.

2014-01-01

The risk of ionizing radiation from diagnostic imaging has been a popular topic in the radiology literature and lay press. Communicating the magnitude of risk to patients and caregivers is problematic because of the uncertainty in estimates derived principally from epidemiological studies of large populations, and alternative approaches are needed to provide a scientific basis for personalized risk estimates. The underlying patient disease and life expectancy greatly influence risk projections. Research into the biological mechanisms of radiation-induced DNA damage and repair challenges the linear no-threshold dose-response assumption and reveals that individuals vary in sensitivity to radiation. Studies of decision-making psychology show that individuals are highly susceptible to irrational biases when judging risks. Truly informed medical decision-making that respects patient autonomy requires appropriate framing of radiation risks in perspective with other risks and with the benefits of imaging. To follow the principles of personalized medicine and treat patients according to their specific phenotypic and personality profiles, diagnostic imaging should optimally be tailored not only to patient size, body region and clinical indication, but also to underlying disease conditions, radio-sensitivity and risk perception and preferences that vary among individuals. (orig.)

Radiation protection programme for planned medical exposure situation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanciles, Milford

2016-04-01

Radiation protection programme for planned medical exposure situation which involved diagnostic and interventional radiology was discussed. The radiation protection programme (RPP) should reflect the management’s commitment to radiation protection and safety through the management structure, policies, procedures and organizational arrangement commensurate with the nature and extent of the risk. Registrants and licensees should use the RPP as a tool for the development of a safety culture in diagnostic and interventional radiology departments .Recommendations are provided which when implemented in the education and training of radiographers, referral physician and all those involved in the use of ionizing radiation for diagnosis purposes will improve protection and safety of the occupationally exposed worker, the patient, the public and the environment. (au)

Coordinated research programme on radiation protection in diagnostic radiology in Asia and the Far East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Heron, J.

1997-01-01

Ten Asian countries (China, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Iran, Philipppines, Malaysia, and Indonesia) are currently participating in a three year programme, as part of a Coordinated Research Programme of the International Atomic Energy Agency, aimed at reducing patient doses in diagnostic radiology through the implementation of optimisation of radiation protection. At the first meeting, held in Manila in September 1995, the project protocol was formulated for the first eighteen months of the programme, where the focus was on plain film radiography. The purpose of the second meeting was to briefly review the first half of the project, and to then come up with protocols for the second phase, where the attention was on dose reduction in fluoroscopic procedures and CT procedures. The second Research Coordination Meeting, held in Manila 3-7 March, was attended by participants from all the countries, with the exception of Iran, plus a consultant from each of Italy and New Zealand, and the scientific secretary from IAEA, Vienna. If the obvious enthusiasm of the participants is able to b maintained on return to their respective countries, then the signs are very healthy for a successful second phase of the programme. (author)

Nuclear energy and radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, D.K.; Johnson, J.R.

1980-01-01

Both the light water reactor and the Canadian heavy water reactor systems produce electricity cheaply and efficiently. They produce some fissionable byproducts, which can be recycled to extend energy sources many-fold. Besides the production of electrical power, the nuclear industry produces various radioistopes used for treatment of cancer, in diagnostic procedures in nuclear medicine, in ionization smoke detectors, and as radioactive tracers with various technological applications including the study of the mechanisms of life. The increment in environmental radiation levels resulting from operation of nuclear power reactors represents a very small fraction of the radiation levels to which we are all exposed from natural sources, and of the average radiation exposures resulting from diagnostic procedures in the healing arts. The total health hazard of the complete nuclear power cycle is generally agreed to be smaller than the hazards associated with the generation of an equal amount of electricity from most other currently available sources of energy. The hazards from energy production in terms of shortened life expectancy are much smaller in all cases than the resulting increase in health and life expectancy. (auth)

Distance factor on reducing scattered radiation risk during interventional fluoroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Husaini Salleh; Mohd Khalid Matori; Muhammad Jamal Mat Isa; Zainal Jamaluddin; Mohd Firdaus Abdul Rahman; Mohd Khairusalih Mohd Zin

2012-01-01

Interventional Radiology (IR) is subspecialty of diagnostic radiology where minimally invasive procedures are performed using an x-ray as a guidance. This procedure can deliver high radiation doses to patient and medical staff compared with other radiological method due to long screening time. The use of proper shielding, shorten the exposure time and keep the distance are the practices to reduce scattered radiation risks to staff involve in this procedure. This project is to study the distance factor on reducing the scattered radiation effect to the medical staff. It also may provide the useful information which can be use to establish the scattered radiation profile during the IR for the sake of radiation protection and safety to the medical staff involved. (author)

Prenatal diagnostic procedures used in pregnancies with congenital malformations in 14 regions of Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Garne, E; Loane, M; de Vigan, C; Scarano, G; de Walle, H; Gillerot, Y; Stoll, C; Addor, MC; Stone, D; Gener, B; Feijoo, M; Mosquera-Tenreiro, C; Gatt, M; Queisser-Luft, A; Baena, N; Dolk, H

2004-01-01

Objective To investigate outcomes of ultrasound investigations (US) and invasive diagnostic procedures in cases of congenital malformations (CM), and to compare the use of invasive prenatal test techniques (amniocentesis (AC) versus chorionic villus sampling (CVS)) among European populations. Design

Sonography as a new diagnostic procedure for investigating abnormalities of the shoulder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rapf, C.; Furtschegger, A.; Resch, H.; Innsbruck Univ.

1986-01-01

Eighty-one sonographic examinations of patients with complaints relating to the shoulder joint have shown that this is the method next in value to radiological examination. So far, lesions of the rotator cuff and of the long head of the biceps could only be demonstrated by invasive procedures such as arthrography or arthroscopy. In these situations, sonography attains a similar accuracy. Diffuse lesions can also be diagnosed correctly, making arthrography and arthroscopy unnecessary. In addition, sonography can demonstrate inflammatory and degenerative changes and incomplete sub-acromial and intermediary tears of the rotator cuff, unlike conventional diagnostic methods. In future, arthrography and arthroscopy will only be necessary as additional diagnostic methods if sonography remains inconclusive. (orig.) [de

Prenatal diagnosis--principles of diagnostic procedures and genetic counseling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryszard Slezak

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The frequency of inherited malformations as well as genetic disorders in newborns account for around 3-5%. These frequency is much higher in early stages of pregnancy, because serious malformations and genetic disorders usually lead to spontaneous abortion. Prenatal diagnosis allowed identification of malformations and/or some genetic syndromes in fetuses during the first trimester of pregnancy. Thereafter, taking into account the severity of the disorders the decision should be taken in regard of subsequent course of the pregnancy taking into account a possibilities of treatment, parent's acceptation of a handicapped child but also, in some cases the possibility of termination of the pregnancy. In prenatal testing, both screening and diagnostic procedures are included. Screening procedures such as first and second trimester biochemical and/or ultrasound screening, first trimester combined ultrasound/biochemical screening and integrated screening should be widely offered to pregnant women. However, interpretation of screening results requires awareness of both sensitivity and predictive value of these procedures. In prenatal diagnosis ultrasound/MRI searching as well as genetic procedures are offered to pregnant women. A variety of approaches for genetic prenatal analyses are now available, including preimplantation diagnosis, chorion villi sampling, amniocentesis, fetal blood sampling as well as promising experimental procedures (e.g. fetal cell and DNA isolation from maternal blood. An incredible progress in genetic methods opened new possibilities for valuable genetic diagnosis. Although karyotyping is widely accepted as golden standard, the discussion is ongoing throughout Europe concerning shifting to new genetic techniques which allow obtaining rapid results in prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidy (e.g. RAPID-FISH, MLPA, quantitative PCR.

Radiation safety and regulatory aspects in Medical Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, Sharmila

2017-01-01

Radiation safety and regulatory aspect of medical facilities are relevant in the context where radiation is used in providing healthcare to human patients. These include facilities, which carry out radiological procedures in diagnostic radiology, including dentistry, image-guided interventional procedures, nuclear medicine, and radiation therapy. The safety regulations provide recommendations and guidance on meeting the requirements for the safe use of radiation in medicine. The different safety aspects which come under its purview are the personnel involved in medical facilities where radiological procedures are performed which include the medical practitioners, radiation technologists, medical physicists, radiopharmacists, radiation protection and over and above all the patients. Regulatory aspects cover the guidelines provided by ethics committees, which regulate the administration of radioactive formulation in human patients. Nuclear medicine is a modality that utilizes radiopharmaceuticals either for diagnosis of physiological disorders related to anatomy, physiology and patho-physiology and for diagnosis and treatment of cancer

Patient dosimetry in diagnostic radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rweyemamu, M.

2013-04-01

The objective of this project was to review patient dosimetry aiming at reducing the patient dose during diagnostic procedures while maintaining the best image quality in order to protect patients from ionizing radiation. CT examination was selected in this study to represent imaging protocols with high patient doses used in diagnostic radiology. Dosimetric parameters in CT which are CTDI, CTDIW, DLP, MSAD, organ dose and effective dose were discussed. Parameters such as tube current, tube voltage, filtration, scan volume and slice thickness were found to affect patient dose, therefore proper management of these factors was recommended. For optimization of protection of the patient, application of the “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) principle was recommended as an important key for avoiding overexposure and minimizing patient doses. Also it was recommended that CT examinations should be performed if and only if is the only suitable option when weighed against other options which do not involve ionizing radiation exposure. (author)

Diagnostics of helium plasma by collisional-radiative modeling and optical emission spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Wonwook; Kwon, Duck-Hee [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

Optical diagnostics for the electron temperature (T{sub e}) and the electron density (n{sub e}) of fusion plasma is important for understanding and controlling the edge and the divertor plasmas in tokamak. Since the line intensity ratio method using the collisional-radiative modeling and OES (optical emission spectroscopy) is simple and does not disturb the plasma, many fusion devices with TEXTOR, JET, JT-60U, LHD, and so on, have employed the line intensity ratio method as a basic diagnostic tool for neutral helium (He I). The accuracy of the line intensity ratio method depends on the reliability of the cross sections and rate coefficients. We performed state-of-the-art R-matrix calculations including couplings up to n=7 states and the distorted wave (DW) calculations for the electron-impact excitation (EIE) cross sections of He I using the flexible atomic code (FAC). The collisional-radiative model for He I was constructed using the calculated the cross sections. The helium collisional-radiative model for He I was constructed to diagnose the electron temperature and the electron density of the plasma. The electron temperature and density were determined by using the line intensity ratio method.

Digital image intensifier radiography: A new diagnostic procedure in traumatology?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, C.; Deininger, H.K.; Staedtische Kliniken Darmstadt

1990-01-01

Digital image intensifier radiography visualises all traumatological changes of clinical relevance and can therefore be used in traumatology. However, the quality of conventional radiographs cannot be attained as yet. Radiation exposure is markedly reduced, and radiographs are obtained directly after exposure, so that this is an extremely rapid radiographic procedure. Images can be quickly transmitted by video cable to the relevant departments and working places. (orig.) [de

Development of procedures to ensure quality and integrity in Tandem Mirror Experiment-Upgrade (TMX-U) diagnostics systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coutts, G.W.; Coon, M.L.; Hinz, A.F.; Hornady, R.S.; Lang, D.D.; Lund, N.P.

1983-01-01

The diagnostic systems for Tandem Mirror Experiment-Upgrade (TMX-U) have grown from eleven initial systems to more than twenty systems. During operation, diagnostic system modifications are sometimes required to complete experimental objectives. Also, during operations new diagnostic systems are being developed and implemented. To ensure and maintain the quality and integrity of the data signals, a set of plans and systematic actions are being developed. This paper reviews the procedures set in place to maintain the integrity of existing data systems and ensure the performance objectives of new diagnostics being added

Analysis of radiation doses to patients from diagnostic department of nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lepej, L.; Messingerova, M.

1995-01-01

In this paper the values of mean effective dose equivalents per unit activity (H E/1Bq ) were used for the calculation of mean effective dose equivalents for one examination (H E ). The collective effective dose equivalents for each radiopharmaceutical and type of examination (S ER ) and global collective effective dose equivalent for department for all radiopharmaceuticals (S E ) during evaluated period were defined. The data for years from 1992 to 1994 were evaluated and compared with results in literature. The evaluation of radiation doses in nuclear medicine department is useful parameter for internal quality control. Using this method, the radiation dose in this laboratory was changed to minimum (under mean value of Slovak Republic). Unfortunately, the real data of patients radiation doses are different from the calculated one. Due to different kinetic of radiopharmaceuticals in individual patients (influenced by pathology, age, etc.) the evaluation of radiation burden to nuclear medicine patients is problematic. But this approach enable the relative comparison of the changes in values of H E and S E during the observed period. The evaluation of individual (minimal) effective dose equivalent - (H min ) which represents dose calculated under physiologic conditions can be useful for indication of diagnostic examination by physicians. Therefore the systematic registration of H min from all examinations - patient's radiation history. This is specially important in the case of children and young people. The importance of the proposed method, is in regulation of radiation dose from nuclear medicine diagnostic examinations, not only be the control of number and type of examinations, but also by selection of used radiopharmaceuticals and by the way how to use them. (J.K.) 1 fig., 2 refs

Diagnostic Reference Levels for Patient Radiation Doses in Pelvis and Lumbar spine Radiography in Korea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kwang Yong; Lee, Byung Young; Lee, Jung Eun; Lee, Hyun Koo; Jung, Seunbg Hwan; Kim, Byung Woo; Kim, Hyeog Ju; Kim, Dong Sup [Radiation Safety Division National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2009-12-15

Pelvis and lumbar spine radiography, among various types of diagnostic radiography, include gonads of the human body and give patients high radiation dose. Nevertheless, diagnostic reference levels for patient radiation dose in pelvis and lumbar spine radiography has not yet been established in Korea. Therefore, the radiation dose that patients receive from pelvis and lumbar radiography is measured and the diagnostic reference level on patient radiation dose for the optimization of radiation protection of patients in pelvis and lumbar spine radiography was established. The conditions and diagnostic imaging information acquired during the time of the postero-anterior view of the pelvis and the postero-anterior and lateral view of the lumbar spine at 125 medical institutions throughout Korea are collected for analysis and the entrance surface dose received by patients is measured using a glass dosimeter. The diagnostic reference levels for patient radiation dose in pelvis and lumbar spine radiography to be recommended to the medical institutes is arranged by establishing the dose from the patient radiation dose that corresponds to the 3rd quartile values as the appropriate diagnostic reference level for patient radiation dose. According to the results of the assessment of diagnostic imaging information acquired from pelvis and lumbar spine radiography and the measurement of patient entrance surface dose taken at the 125 medical institutes throughout Korea, the tube voltage ranged between 60-97 kVp, with the average use being 75 kVp, and the tube current ranged between 8-123 mAs, with the average use being 30 mAs. In the posteroanterior and lateral views of lumbar spine radiography, the tube voltage of each view ranged between 65-100 kVp (average use: 78 kVp) and 70-109 kVp (average use: 87 kVp), respectively, and the tube current of each view ranged between 10-100 mAs(average use: 35 mAs) and between 8.9-300 mAs(average use: 64 mAs), respectively. The measurements of

Diagnostic Reference Levels for Patient Radiation Doses in Pelvis and Lumbar spine Radiography in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kwang Yong; Lee, Byung Young; Lee, Jung Eun; Lee, Hyun Koo; Jung, Seunbg Hwan; Kim, Byung Woo; Kim, Hyeog Ju; Kim, Dong Sup

2009-01-01

Pelvis and lumbar spine radiography, among various types of diagnostic radiography, include gonads of the human body and give patients high radiation dose. Nevertheless, diagnostic reference levels for patient radiation dose in pelvis and lumbar spine radiography has not yet been established in Korea. Therefore, the radiation dose that patients receive from pelvis and lumbar radiography is measured and the diagnostic reference level on patient radiation dose for the optimization of radiation protection of patients in pelvis and lumbar spine radiography was established. The conditions and diagnostic imaging information acquired during the time of the postero-anterior view of the pelvis and the postero-anterior and lateral view of the lumbar spine at 125 medical institutions throughout Korea are collected for analysis and the entrance surface dose received by patients is measured using a glass dosimeter. The diagnostic reference levels for patient radiation dose in pelvis and lumbar spine radiography to be recommended to the medical institutes is arranged by establishing the dose from the patient radiation dose that corresponds to the 3rd quartile values as the appropriate diagnostic reference level for patient radiation dose. According to the results of the assessment of diagnostic imaging information acquired from pelvis and lumbar spine radiography and the measurement of patient entrance surface dose taken at the 125 medical institutes throughout Korea, the tube voltage ranged between 60-97 kVp, with the average use being 75 kVp, and the tube current ranged between 8-123 mAs, with the average use being 30 mAs. In the posteroanterior and lateral views of lumbar spine radiography, the tube voltage of each view ranged between 65-100 kVp (average use: 78 kVp) and 70-109 kVp (average use: 87 kVp), respectively, and the tube current of each view ranged between 10-100 mAs(average use: 35 mAs) and between 8.9-300 mAs(average use: 64 mAs), respectively. The measurements of

Radiation field distribution within the room for three commonly-used interventional procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Changcai; Zhang Lin; Min Nan; Lu Feng; Li Quantai; Deng Daping; Chen Yue; Zhu Jianguo

2014-01-01

Objective: To detect the radiation field distribution within the room for three commonly-used interventional procedures, in order to provide basic data for the radiation protection and safe operation of staff involved in interventional radiology. Methods: The thermoluminescent dosemeters (TLDs) were placed in different points on the horizontal plane around the interventional table and the vertical plane where the staff often stayed. Based on the selected experimental conditions, the TLDs were grouped to be irradiated. After the experiment, the TLDs were measured in the laboratory to calculate the doses of radiation field. Results: Data obtained at the same position followed basically as cardiovascular intervention > cerebrovascular intervention > liver intervention. Intervention of same type at the same position followed as high-dose group > mid-dose group > low-dose group. These results were consistent with the useful beam doses, and proportional to the fluoroscopy time. A few data with exception were due to measurement error or experimental error. Conclusions: Cerebrovascular and liver interventional procedures resulted in the relatively low radiation doses. The radiation doses at the distance of more than 3 m can be negligible. For cardiovascular interventional procedure, with the decrease of the distance from the X-ray tube, the dose decreased. In the radiation field,the operator, the first assistant and second assistant would exposed to higher dose on the standing points while patients receive lower doses in the head and feet direction. (authors)

Changes in the 'medical research' licensing procedure under the German Radiation Protection Ordinance; Neuerungen im Genehmigungsverfahren 'Medizinische Forschung' gemaess Roentgen- und Strahlenschutzverordnung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Habeck, M.; Minkov, V.; Griebel, J.; Brix, G. [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz (BfS), Oberschleissheim-Neuherberg (Germany). Fachbereich Strahlenschutz und Gesundheit; Epsch, R.; Langer, M. [Deutsche Roentgengesellschaft e.V. (DRG), Berlin (Germany). Klinische Studienkoordination

2012-06-15

This publication outlines the 'medical research' licensing procedure as specified in the amendment of the German Radiation Protection Ordinance of November 1, 2011. The general licensing requirements for the use of radiation have not been changed by the amendment. Three so-called use restrictions (i.e., dose limits of 10 mSv and 20 mSv, age limit of 50 years) have been modified. They will only apply to healthy volunteers in the future. In addition, there are considerable simplifications with respect to applications and licensing procedures of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, BfS) regarding the use of radiation in the newly introduced 'accompanying diagnostics' ('Begleitdiagnostik') case group. The newly established, independent panel of experts at the German Radiological Society (Deutsche Roentgengesellschaft, DRG) may provide essential support to principal investigators, qualified physicians and sponsors for differentiating between 'medical research' and 'health care', the latter not being subject to licensing. An expert statement will be issued by the DRG within four weeks of an inquiry. This consulting service is subject to confidentiality, and is free of charge for inquirers and without any commitment. (orig.)

A national survey of occupational radiation exposure among diagnostic radiologic technologists in South Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jeeyoung; Cha, Eun Shil; Jeong, Meeseon; Lee, Won Jin

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate representative occupational characteristics and radiation exposure for South Korean radiologic technologists. The authors conducted a national survey by stratified sampling of South Korean administrative districts and types of medical facilities. A total of 585 technologists were surveyed, and survey data were linked with dosimetry data from the National Dose Registry. A total of 73 % of radiologic technologists sampled were male, 62 % were younger than age 40 and 86.5 % began employment after 1990. The most frequent practices among radiologic technologists were diagnostic routine X-ray followed by computed tomography (CT) and portable X-ray. Male workers were more frequently involved in CT, portable X-ray and interventional radiology whereas female workers carried out most mammography procedures. The average annual effective dose was 2.3 mSv for male and 1.3 mSv for female workers. The dose was significantly higher for workers in the provinces and those who had recently started work. (authors)

Alkaline Comet Assay and Micronucleus Test Parameters in Children Exposed to Diagnostic X-Ray Examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gajski, G.; Geric, M.; Garaj-Vrhovac, V.; Milkovic, Dj.; Beck, N.; Ranogajec-Komor, M.; Miljanic, S.; Knezevic, Z.

2011-01-01

Chest radiograms represent the basic radiological examination of thorax and are the most frequently performed radiological diagnostic procedure in the child population. Understanding the risks of low doses of radiation is an important aspect in the risk benefit analysis in paediatric populations. To provide the best care for the young patients the effects of radiation should be minimized thus chest X-rays must be performed by highest standards to ensure that the young patient has the lowest risk possible. Since children are the most sensitive to radiation, there is a need for follow up of the young populations that receive these X-ray diagnostic examinations. Follow up would be especially advisable for children that are at higher risk of radiation induced damage, for example children with a predisposition to DNA damage, or for children that are constantly exposed to numerous radiological examinations due to their illness. In that manner, present study was undertaken to evaluate application of different dosimetry systems in conjunction with alkaline comet assay and micronucleus test for the assessment of different types of DNA and chromosomal alterations in child population exposed to acute diagnostic X-rays examination. For that purpose doses were measured using thermoluminescence (TL) and radiophotoluminescent (RPL) dosimetry systems. The study demonstrated that immediately after exposure to diagnostic X-irradiation, mean percentage of DNA in tail of the comets, which is indirect measures of DNA damage, was significantly changed. The same was noticed for mean total number of micronuclei as well. It was shown that children with pulmonary diseases subjected to diagnostic procedure develop a significant increase in mean total number of each measured parameter which are the biomarkers of genetic damage for carcinogenesis, than prior to diagnostic procedure and that interindividual differences exist for each monitored child. Our results show that genetic damage arises

Radiation protection in computerized tomography diagnostics; Strahlenschutz in der Computertomografie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grust, Andreas [Radiologie am Hauptbahnhof, Duesseldorf (Germany)

2012-11-01

The essential advantage of computerized tomography (CT) compared to projecting radiographic techniques is the display of organs free of superposition using a 3D data set and additional enhanced contrast resolution. CT is a mostly objective and examination-independent technique that has developed towards an indispensable tool for tumor diagnostics and traumatology. With respect to the total amount of X-ray diagnostic examinations CT is a rather seldom used technique, nevertheless causing a disproportionately high amount of the collective effective dose of the German population. This disadvantage triggers the necessity to work on a radiation dose reduction. The author discusses the issues X-ray tube current reduction, layer thickness, pitch factor, scan length, dose modulation, adaptive collimation, and iterative reconstruction.

Structural shielding of medical X-ray rooms for diagnostic installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabitsch, H.

1979-06-01

In Part I (RIG 8), the various design procedures for shielding against X-rays are discussed and compared. In particular, this comparison is carried out between the shielding obtained conforming to the Austrian Regulations for Radiation Protection and that obtained from the DIN-standard DIN 6812; this latter includes the various operating conditions of diagnostic installations up to 150 kV. Several examples for particular structural shielding components in medical radiation rooms are given. (author)

Radiation protection in medical research. Licensing requirement for the use of radiation and advice for the application procedure; Strahlenschutz in der medizinischen Forschung. Genehmigungsbeduerftigkeit von Strahlenanwendungen und Hinweise zum Antragsverfahren

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minkov, V.; Klammer, H.; Brix, G. [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, Abteilung fuer medizinischen und beruflichen Strahlenschutz, Neuherberg (Germany)

2017-07-15

In Germany, persons who are to be exposed to radiation for medical research purposes are protected by a licensing requirement. However, there are considerable uncertainties on the part of the applicants as to whether licensing by the competent Federal Office for Radiation Protection is necessary, and regarding the choice of application procedure. The article provides explanatory notes and practical assistance for applicants and an outlook on the forthcoming new regulations concerning the law on radiation protection of persons in the field of medical research. Questions and typical mistakes in the application process were identified and evaluated. The qualified physicians involved in a study are responsible for deciding whether a license is required for the intended application of radiation. The decision can be guided by answering the key question whether the study participants would undergo the same exposures regarding type and extent if they had not taken part in the study. When physicians are still unsure about their decision, they can seek the advisory service provided by the professional medical societies. Certain groups of people are particularly protected through the prohibition or restriction of radiation exposure. A simplified licensing procedure is used for a proportion of diagnostic procedures involving radiation when all related requirements are met; otherwise, the regular licensing procedure should be used. The new radiation protection law, which will enter into force on the 31st of december 2018, provides a notification procedure in addition to deadlines for both the notification and the licensing procedures. In the article, the authors consider how eligible studies involving applications of radiation that are legally not admissible at present may be feasible in the future, while still ensuring a high protection level for study participants. (orig.) [German] Personen, bei denen Strahlenanwendungen zum Zweck der medizinischen Forschung durchgefuehrt

Diagnosing alcoholism in high-risk drinking drivers: comparing different diagnostic procedures with estimated prevalence of hazardous alcohol use

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korzec, A.; Bär, M.; Koeter, M. W.; de Kieviet, W.

2001-01-01

In several European countries, drivers under influence (DUI), suspected of an alcohol use disorder (AUD, 'alcoholism') are referred for diagnostic examination. The accuracy of diagnostic procedures used in diagnosing AUD in the DUI population is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare three

Results of a national survey on nuclear medicine procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curti, A.R.; Gatica, N.A.; Melis, H.J.

1998-01-01

Full text: In 1997, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of Argentina carried out a compilation of data on radiopharmaceuticals administered to patients in nuclear medicine procedures. Its aim was to get information on the radiopharmaceuticals that are used in different procedures and the activity administered to the patient, to assess the radiation exposure of the population and to contribute to a global survey of medical radiation usage and exposures conducted by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), by sending information of the country. The data compiled were analysed, and for the most frequent procedures, the mean activity administered, the standard deviation, the distribution of the number of procedures for different age groups, sex and radiopharmaceuticals were assessed. The radiation exposure for children and adults was estimated. For the main diagnostic examinations, the results of the survey were compared with specific values published in the Basic Safety Standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (Safety Series No. 115, 1996). As a conclusion, it may be point out the importance of continuing with the compilation of this kind of information in order to identify emerging trends on the use of nuclear medicine procedures in Argentina and the activity of radiopharmaceuticals administered to the patients. (author) [es

Appropriate use of diagnostic imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palmer, P.E.S.; Cockshott, W.P.

1984-11-16

This article discusses ways in which more appropriate use can be made of roentgenography with a resulting decrease in radiation doses to the patient population. The authors recommend that fewer films be made and that traditional roentgenography be replaced with endoscopy, ultrasound, computerized tomography, or angiography where appropriate. They also recommend that medical schools and medical subspecialty groups study the World Health Organization document which provides indications for diagnostic imaging, the choice of procedure and the limitations of each.

Software for the estimation of organ equivalent and effective doses from diagnostic radiology procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osei, Ernest K; Barnett, Rob

2009-01-01

Diagnostic radiological imaging such as conventional radiography, fluoroscopy and computed tomography (CT) examinations will continue to provide tremendous benefits in modern healthcare. The benefit derived by the patient should far outweigh the risk associated with a properly conducted imaging examination. Nonetheless, it is very important to be able to quantify the risk associated with any radiological examination of patients, and effective dose has been considered a useful indicator of patient exposure. Quantification of the risks associated with radiological imaging is very important as such information will be helpful to physicians and their patients for comparing risks from various imaging examinations and for making informed decisions whenever there is a need for any radiological imaging. The determination of equivalent and effective doses in diagnostic radiology is of interest as a basis for estimates of risk from medical exposures. In this paper we describe a simple computer program OrgDose, which calculates the doses to 27 organs in the body and then calculates the organ equivalent and effective doses and the risk from various procedures in the radiology department including conventional radiography, fluoroscopy and computed tomography examinations. The program will be a useful tool for the medical and paramedical personnel who are involved with assessing organ and effective doses and risks from diagnostic radiology procedures.

Analysis of radiation doses to patients from diagnostic department of nuclear medicine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lepej, L; Messingerova, M [F.D. Rosvelt Hospital, Banska Bystrica (Slovakia). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine; Ftacnikova, S [Inst. of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Bratislava (Slovakia)

1996-12-31

In this paper the values of mean effective dose equivalents per unit activity (H{sub E/1Bq}) were used for the calculation of mean effective dose equivalents for one examination (H{sub E}). The collective effective dose equivalents for each radiopharmaceutical and type of examination (S{sub ER}) and global collective effective dose equivalent for department for all radiopharmaceuticals (S{sub E}) during evaluated period were defined. The data for years from 1992 to 1994 were evaluated and compared with results in literature. The evaluation of radiation doses in nuclear medicine department is useful parameter for internal quality control. Using this method, the radiation dose in this laboratory was changed to minimum (under mean value of Slovak Republic). Unfortunately, the real data of patients radiation doses are different from the calculated one. Due to different kinetic of radiopharmaceuticals in individual patients (influenced by pathology, age, etc.) the evaluation of radiation burden to nuclear medicine patients is problematic. But this approach enable the relative comparison of the changes in values of H{sub E} and S{sub E} during the observed period. The evaluation of individual (minimal) effective dose equivalent - (H{sub min}) which represents dose calculated under physiologic conditions can be useful for indication of diagnostic examination by physicians. Therefore the systematic registration of H{sub min} from all examinations - patient`s radiation history. This is specially important in the case of children and young people. The importance of the proposed method, is in regulation of radiation dose from nuclear medicine diagnostic examinations, not only be the control of number and type of examinations, but also by selection of used radiopharmaceuticals and by the way how to use them. (J.K.) 1 fig., 2 refs.

Emesis as a Screening Diagnostic for Low Dose Rate (LDR) Total Body Radiation Exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Camarata, Andrew S; Switchenko, Jeffrey M; Demidenko, Eugene; Flood, Ann B; Swartz, Harold M; Ali, Arif N

2016-04-01

Current radiation disaster manuals list the time-to-emesis (TE) as the key triage indicator of radiation dose. The data used to support TE recommendations were derived primarily from nearly instantaneous, high dose-rate exposures as part of variable condition accident databases. To date, there has not been a systematic differentiation between triage dose estimates associated with high and low dose rate (LDR) exposures, even though it is likely that after a nuclear detonation or radiologic disaster, many surviving casualties would have received a significant portion of their total exposure from fallout (LDR exposure) rather than from the initial nuclear detonation or criticality event (high dose rate exposure). This commentary discusses the issues surrounding the use of emesis as a screening diagnostic for radiation dose after LDR exposure. As part of this discussion, previously published clinical data on emesis after LDR total body irradiation (TBI) is statistically re-analyzed as an illustration of the complexity of the issue and confounding factors. This previously published data includes 107 patients who underwent TBI up to 10.5 Gy in a single fraction delivered over several hours at 0.02 to 0.04 Gy min. Estimates based on these data for the sensitivity of emesis as a screening diagnostic for the low dose rate radiation exposure range from 57.1% to 76.6%, and the estimates for specificity range from 87.5% to 99.4%. Though the original data contain multiple confounding factors, the evidence regarding sensitivity suggests that emesis appears to be quite poor as a medical screening diagnostic for LDR exposures.

42 CFR 413.122 - Payment for hospital outpatient radiology services and other diagnostic procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Payment for hospital outpatient radiology services... radiology services and other diagnostic procedures. (a) Basis and purpose. (1) This section implements section 1833(n) of the Act and establishes the method for determining Medicare payments for radiology...

Re-Establishment of Standard Radiation Qualities for Calibration of Dosemeter in Diagnostic Radiology - RQR Series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asmaliza Hashim; Norhayati Abdullah; Mohd Firdaus Abd Rahman

2016-01-01

After repairing the high voltage (HV) generator for Philips MG165 X-Ray Machine, the reestablishment of the standard radiation qualities has been done at Medical Physics Calibration Laboratory to meet the IEC and IAEA standard. Standard radiation qualities are the important criteria for calibration of dosemeter in diagnostic radiology. Standard radiation qualities are defined as the added filtration needed to produce and the half value layer (HVL) of the beam for specifies x-ray tube kilo voltage (kV). For calibration of dosemeter in diagnostic radiology, standard radiation qualities RQR represent the beam incident on the patient in general radiography, fluoroscopy and dental application. The HVL were measured using PTW ion chamber of volume 1 cm"3 with PTW electrometer and aluminium filter with 99.9 % purity was used as additional filter for RQR and filter for HVL. The first establishment of standard radiation qualities was made in 2009 for the radiation qualities of RQR. The results of additional filter and 1st HVL from 2009 to 2016 will be discussed further in paper. The ratios of the measured HVL to the standard IEC HVL value for the RQR series also described in this paper. The details of the measurement and the results are described in this paper. (author)

Assessment of patient doses and image quality in X-ray diagnostics in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olerud, H.M.

1998-01-01

Results from other industrialized countries indicate that the annual number of diagnostic procedures approaches one for every member of the population, and in many cases the individual radiation doses are higher than from any other human activity. Furthermore, the doses to patients for the same type of examination differ widely from place to place, suggesting that there is a considerable potential for dose reduction. This motivated an investigation of the diagnostic use of X-rays in Norway. The trends in the number of X-ray examinations performed annually have been studied. The patient doses (all diagnostics) and image quality (mammography and computed tomography) have been assessed for various radiological procedures. This form the basis for the assessment of total collective effective dose (CED) from X-rays in Norway, and further risk estimates. The radiological practice has then been evaluated according to the radiation protection principles of justification and optimisation. Based on the 1993 examination frequency, the total CED was assessed to 3400 manSv (0.78 mSv/inhabitant). It is estimated that this radiation burden may cause about 100 excess cancer deaths annually. The frequency of CT examination has doubled every fifth year, and did in 1993 represent 7% of the total number of examinations and 30% of the total CED. 129 refs

Assessment of patient doses and image quality in X-ray diagnostics in Norway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olerud, H M

1998-06-01

Results from other industrialized countries indicate that the annual number of diagnostic procedures approaches one for every member of the population, and in many cases the individual radiation doses are higher than from any other human activity. Furthermore, the doses to patients for the same type of examination differ widely from place to place, suggesting that there is a considerable potential for dose reduction. This motivated an investigation of the diagnostic use of X-rays in Norway. The trends in the number of X-ray examinations performed annually have been studied. The patient doses (all diagnostics) and image quality (mammography and computed tomography) have been assessed for various radiological procedures. This form the basis for the assessment of total collective effective dose (CED) from X-rays in Norway, and further risk estimates. The radiological practice has then been evaluated according to the radiation protection principles of justification and optimisation. Based on the 1993 examination frequency, the total CED was assessed to 3400 manSv (0.78 mSv/inhabitant). It is estimated that this radiation burden may cause about 100 excess cancer deaths annually. The frequency of CT examination has doubled every fifth year, and did in 1993 represent 7% of the total number of examinations and 30% of the total CED. 129 refs.

Medical radiation exposure and usage for diagnostic radiology in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, Kwan-Hoong; Rassiah, Premavathy; Abdullah, B.J.J.; Wang, Hwee-Beng; Shariff Hambali, Ahmad; Muthuvelu, Pirunthavany; Sivalingam, S.

2001-01-01

A national dose survey of routine X-ray examinations in Malaysia (a Level II country) from 1993 to 1995 had established baseline data for seven common types of x-ray examinations. A total of 12 randomly selected public hospitals and 867 patients were included in this survey. Survey results are generally comparable with those reported in the UK, USA and IAEA. The findings support the importance of the ongoing national quality assurance programme to ensure doses are kept to a level consistent with optimum image quality. The data was useful in the formulation of national guidance levels as recommended by the IAEA. The medical radiation exposure and usage for diagnostic radiology (1990-1994) enabled a comparison to be made for the first time with the UNSCEAR 2000 Report. In 1994, the number of physicians, radiologists, x-ray units and x-ray examinations per 1000 population was 0.45, 0.005, 0.065 and 183, respectively; 3.6 million x-ray examinations were performed; the annual effective dose per capita was 0.05 mSv and collective dose was 1000 person-Sv. Chest examinations contributed 63% of the total. Almost all examinations experienced increasing frequency except for barium studies, cholecystography, and intravenous urography (-23%, -36%, -51%). Notable increases were observed in computed tomography (161%), cardiac procedures (190%), and mammography (240%). (author)

Malignancies in blood-forming organs following diagnostic and therapeutic procedures: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodgin, J.D.; Webster, P.D.

1976-01-01

Ionizing radiation used for diagnosis or therapy has been associated with an increased incidence of malignancies of blood-forming organs. The increased incidence of hematopoietic malignancies following exposure to ionizing radiation obtained in the course of occupation, diagnosis and therapy of disease, or as a weapon of war is documented. The natural occurrence and the induced progression to acute leukemia of polycythemia rubra vera, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, Di Guglielmo's disease, and reticuloendothelial malignancies are discussed. The status of transplantation and immunodeficiency states and their relationship to acute leukemia is reviewed. Finally, drugs, toxins, and the use of cytotoxic radiomimetic agents for nonmalignant purposes are shown to lead to the development of acute leukemia. Background information relevant to the proper use of future diagnostic and therapeutic modalities is provided

Radiation protection and safety in medical use of ionising radiation in Republic of Bulgaria - Harmonisation of the national legislation with Euratom directives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ingilizova, K.; Vassileva, J.; Rupova, I.; Pavlova, A.

2005-01-01

From February 2002 to November 2003 the National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection conducted a PHARE twinning project 'Radiation Protection and Safety at Medical Use of Ionising Radiation'. The main purposes of the project were the harmonisation of Bulgarian legislation in the field of radiation protection with EC Directives 96/29 and 97/43 Euratom, and the establishment of appropriate institutional infrastructure and administrative framework for their implementation. This paper presents the main results of the project: elaboration of Ordinance for Protection of Individuals from Medical Exposure; performance of a national survey of distribution of patient doses in diagnostic radiology and of administered activities in nuclear medicine and establishment of national reference levels for the most common diagnostic procedures. (authors)

Irrigoscopy - irrigography method, dosimetry and radiation shielding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubanov, Z.; Kolarevic, G.

1999-01-01

Use of patient's radiation shielding during radiology diagnostic procedures in our country is insufficiently represent, so patients needlessly receive very high entrance skin doses in body areas which are not in direct x-ray beam. During irrigoscopy, patient's radiation shielding is very complex problem, because of the organs position. In the future that problem must be solved. We hope that some of our suggestions about patient's radiation shielding during irrigoscopy, can be a small step in that way. (author)

The role of medical physicist in health care and radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattsson, S.; Adliene, D.

2004-01-01

Medical physics is a part of physics that is associated with the practice of medicine dealing with a use of various types of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation for medical purposes as well as with the radiation protection of patients and personnel. The role, responsibilities and duties of medical physicists in the fields of radiation therapy, diagnostic imaging using X-rays and magnetic resonance methods, diagnostics and therapeutic nuclear medicine, radiation dosimetry and radiation protection are discussed in this paper. It is shown that, the medical physicists have the unique possibility to combine their knowledge in medical radiation physics with the recent achievements in medicine and technology and to apply this knowledge for the adequately safe treatment or diagnosis of patients during radiological procedures. (author)

Real-time eye lens dose monitoring during cerebral angiography procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Safari, M.J.; Wong, J.H.D.; Kadir, K.A.A.; Ng, K.H. [University of Malaya, Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); University of Malaya, University of Malaya Research Imaging Centre (UMRIC), Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Thorpe, N.K.; Cutajar, D.L.; Petasecca, M.; Lerch, M.L.F.; Rosenfeld, A.B. [University of Wollongong, Centre for Medical Radiation Physics (CMRP), Wollongong, NSW (Australia)

2016-01-15

To develop a real-time dose-monitoring system to measure the patient's eye lens dose during neuro-interventional procedures. Radiation dose received at left outer canthus (LOC) and left eyelid (LE) were measured using Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor dosimeters on 35 patients who underwent diagnostic or cerebral embolization procedures. The radiation dose received at the LOC region was significantly higher than the dose received by the LE. The maximum eye lens dose of 1492 mGy was measured at LOC region for an AVM case, followed by 907 mGy for an aneurysm case and 665 mGy for a diagnostic angiography procedure. Strong correlations (shown as R{sup 2}) were observed between kerma-area-product and measured eye doses (LOC: 0.78, LE: 0.68). Lateral and frontal air-kerma showed strong correlations with measured dose at LOC (AK{sub L}: 0.93, AK{sub F}: 0.78) and a weak correlation with measured dose at LE. A moderate correlation was observed between fluoroscopic time and dose measured at LE and LOC regions. The MOSkin dose-monitoring system represents a new tool enabling real-time monitoring of eye lens dose during neuro-interventional procedures. This system can provide interventionalists with information needed to adjust the clinical procedure to control the patient's dose. (orig.)

Real-time eye lens dose monitoring during cerebral angiography procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safari, M.J.; Wong, J.H.D.; Kadir, K.A.A.; Ng, K.H.; Thorpe, N.K.; Cutajar, D.L.; Petasecca, M.; Lerch, M.L.F.; Rosenfeld, A.B.

2016-01-01

To develop a real-time dose-monitoring system to measure the patient's eye lens dose during neuro-interventional procedures. Radiation dose received at left outer canthus (LOC) and left eyelid (LE) were measured using Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor dosimeters on 35 patients who underwent diagnostic or cerebral embolization procedures. The radiation dose received at the LOC region was significantly higher than the dose received by the LE. The maximum eye lens dose of 1492 mGy was measured at LOC region for an AVM case, followed by 907 mGy for an aneurysm case and 665 mGy for a diagnostic angiography procedure. Strong correlations (shown as R 2 ) were observed between kerma-area-product and measured eye doses (LOC: 0.78, LE: 0.68). Lateral and frontal air-kerma showed strong correlations with measured dose at LOC (AK L : 0.93, AK F : 0.78) and a weak correlation with measured dose at LE. A moderate correlation was observed between fluoroscopic time and dose measured at LE and LOC regions. The MOSkin dose-monitoring system represents a new tool enabling real-time monitoring of eye lens dose during neuro-interventional procedures. This system can provide interventionalists with information needed to adjust the clinical procedure to control the patient's dose. (orig.)

Analytical modeling of worldwide medical radiation use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mettler, F.A. Jr.; Davis, M.; Kelsey, C.A.; Rosenberg, R.; Williams, A.

1987-01-01

An analytical model was developed to estimate the availability and frequency of medical radiation use on a worldwide basis. This model includes medical and dental x-ray, nuclear medicine, and radiation therapy. The development of an analytical model is necessary as the first step in estimating the radiation dose to the world's population from this source. Since there is no data about the frequency of medical radiation use in more than half the countries in the world and only fragmentary data in an additional one-fourth of the world's countries, such a model can be used to predict the uses of medical radiation in these countries. The model indicates that there are approximately 400,000 medical x-ray machines worldwide and that approximately 1.2 billion diagnostic medical x-ray examinations are performed annually. Dental x-ray examinations are estimated at 315 million annually and approximately 22 million in-vivo diagnostic nuclear medicine examinations. Approximately 4 million radiation therapy procedures or courses of treatment are undertaken annually

Radiation protection of patients in diagnostic radiology: implementation of a management system optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corpas Rivera, L.; Devesa Pardo, F. J.; Gamez Jimenez, J. L.; Vallejo Carrascal, C.; Garcia de Diego, A. A.; Amador Vela-Hidalgo, J. J.

2011-01-01

The enforcement of quality in diagnostic radiology (Royal Decree 1976/1999 laying down the criteria for quality in diagnostic radiology and Royal Decree 815/2001 to justify the use of ionizing radiations for medical exposure, etc.) and recommendations and European regulations on the matter, is done by carrying out the optimization of the doses received, based on image quality in a continuous process of monitoring of such dose from the dose reference Values ??(VRD ) that the system has allowed to establish for each technique.

The Swedish radiation protection institute's regulations on x-ray diagnostics; issued on April 28, 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-04-01

These regulations are applicable to practices with ionising radiation with respect to medical and dental diagnostics by means of external radiation sources like x-rays or radioactive substances. The regulations are also applicable to medical or dental use of such radiation sources for planning and guidance, for research and for legal and insurance related examinations.

Effects of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction on radiation dose reduction and diagnostic accuracy of pediatric abdominal CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Sohi; Kim, Myung-Joon; Lee, Mi-Jung [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiological Science, Severance Children' s Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Choon-Sik [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Dong Wook; Hong, Jung Hwa [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2014-12-15

Since children are more radio-sensitive than adults, there is a need to minimize radiation exposure during CT exams. To evaluate the effects of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) on radiation dose reduction, image quality and diagnostic accuracy in pediatric abdominal CT. We retrospectively reviewed the abdominal CT examinations of 41 children (24 boys and 17 girls; mean age: 10 years) with a low-dose radiation protocol and reconstructed with ASIR (the ASIR group). We also reviewed routine-dose abdominal CT examinations of 41 age- and sex-matched controls reconstructed with filtered-back projection (control group). Image quality was assessed objectively as noise measured in the liver, spleen and aorta, as well as subjectively by three pediatric radiologists for diagnostic acceptability using a four-point scale. Radiation dose and objective image qualities of each group were compared with the paired t-test. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by reviewing follow-up imaging studies and medical records in 2012 and 2013. There was 46.3% dose reduction of size-specific dose estimates in ASIR group (from 13.4 to 7.2 mGy) compared with the control group. Objective noise was higher in the liver, spleen and aorta of the ASIR group (P < 0.001). However, the subjective image quality was average or superior in 84-100% of studies. Only one image was subjectively rated as unacceptable by one reviewer. There was only one case with interpretational error in the control group and none in the ASIR group. Use of the ASIR technique resulted in greater than a 45% reduction in radiation dose without impairing subjective image quality or diagnostic accuracy in pediatric abdominal CT, despite increased objective image noise. (orig.)

Effects of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction on radiation dose reduction and diagnostic accuracy of pediatric abdominal CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Sohi; Kim, Myung-Joon; Lee, Mi-Jung; Yoon, Choon-Sik; Kim, Dong Wook; Hong, Jung Hwa

2014-01-01

Since children are more radio-sensitive than adults, there is a need to minimize radiation exposure during CT exams. To evaluate the effects of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) on radiation dose reduction, image quality and diagnostic accuracy in pediatric abdominal CT. We retrospectively reviewed the abdominal CT examinations of 41 children (24 boys and 17 girls; mean age: 10 years) with a low-dose radiation protocol and reconstructed with ASIR (the ASIR group). We also reviewed routine-dose abdominal CT examinations of 41 age- and sex-matched controls reconstructed with filtered-back projection (control group). Image quality was assessed objectively as noise measured in the liver, spleen and aorta, as well as subjectively by three pediatric radiologists for diagnostic acceptability using a four-point scale. Radiation dose and objective image qualities of each group were compared with the paired t-test. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by reviewing follow-up imaging studies and medical records in 2012 and 2013. There was 46.3% dose reduction of size-specific dose estimates in ASIR group (from 13.4 to 7.2 mGy) compared with the control group. Objective noise was higher in the liver, spleen and aorta of the ASIR group (P < 0.001). However, the subjective image quality was average or superior in 84-100% of studies. Only one image was subjectively rated as unacceptable by one reviewer. There was only one case with interpretational error in the control group and none in the ASIR group. Use of the ASIR technique resulted in greater than a 45% reduction in radiation dose without impairing subjective image quality or diagnostic accuracy in pediatric abdominal CT, despite increased objective image noise. (orig.)

Diagnostic procedures of the solitary pulmonary nodule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoe, Keisuke; Hiraki, Akio; Kohara, Hiroyuki

2003-01-01

The spread of computed tomography (CT) brought the frequent further examinations of the solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN). To aim the evaluation of initial data on examinations of SPN for differential diagnosis, we studied retrospective cases. Thirty-one cases of SPN less than 20 mm in diameter were compared in clinical findings and CT image findings and were examined the diagnostic procedures in recent three years in National Sanyo Hospital. The 31 patients consisted of 14 males and 17 females ranging 44 to 79 years old, median 65 years old. The causes of SPN were lung cancer (11 patients), cryptococcosis (4 patients), tuberculoma (3 patients), non-tuberculous mycobacteria (2 patients), pneumoconiosis (2 patients), pneumonia scar (one patient), hamartoma (one patient), and unknown (7 patients). There were no significant differences in laboratory findings between lung cancer and the others. CT findings showed significant differences in four categories. All patients underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FB) examinations and 12 patients were determined the diagnosis initial FB. Five patients were established their diagnosis using videoassociated thoracoscopic surgeries. (author)

Status of radiation protection in diagnostic x ray installations at Meerut and Saharanpur districts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathur, A.S.; Tewari, A.K.; Dwivedi, S.C.; Garg, R.K.

1993-01-01

The present study is the assessment of radiation protection in Meerut and Saharanpur districts representing Western U.P. of diagnostic x-ray installations including C.T. centres. This was done by collecting data on questionnaire and personal inspection of radiological set-ups. We concluded that major part of diagnostic work is looked after by private sector and in comparison to Govt. sector this is 2.4:1. Also , <100mA units which are usually owned by non-qualified persons in private sector are doing this work and naturally with much carelessness as far as radiation protection is concerned. Even at posh clinics the protection and monitoring aspect is much neglected due to various reasons. Apart from a control all clinics need a continuing education on safety aspects. (author)

The role of medical physicist in radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nusslin, F.

2010-01-01

Ionizing Radiation is applied in Radiation Therapy, Nuclear medicine and Diagnostic Radiology. Radiation Protection in Medical Application of Ionizing Radiation requires specific Professional Competence in all relevant details of the radiation source instrumentation / equipment clinical dosimetry application procedures quality assurance medical risk-benefit assessment. Application in general include Justification of practices (sufficient benefit to the exposed individuals) Limitation of doses to individuals (occupational / public exposure) Optimization of Protection (magnitude and likelihood of exposures, and the number of individuals exposed will be ALARA. Competence of persons is normally assessed by the State by having a formal mechanism for registration, accreditation or certification of medical physicists in the various specialties (e.g. diagnostic radiology, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine). The patient safety in the use of medical radiation will be increased through: Consistent education and certification of medical team members, whose qualifications are recognized nationally, and who follow consensus practice guidelines that meet established national accrediting standards

Activities identification for activity-based cost/management applications of the diagnostics outpatient procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Alrashdan, Abdalla; Momani, Amer; Ababneh, Tamador

2012-01-01

One of the most challenging problems facing healthcare providers is to determine the actual cost for their procedures, which is important for internal accounting and price justification to insurers. The objective of this paper is to find suitable categories to identify the diagnostic outpatient medical procedures and translate them from functional orientation to process orientation. A hierarchal task tree is developed based on a classification schema of procedural activities. Each procedure is seen as a process consisting of a number of activities. This makes a powerful foundation for activity-based cost/management implementation and provides enough information to discover the value-added and non-value-added activities that assist in process improvement and eventually may lead to cost reduction. Work measurement techniques are used to identify the standard time of each activity at the lowest level of the task tree. A real case study at a private hospital is presented to demonstrate the proposed methodology. © 2011 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

Patient and staff doses in fluoroscopically guided invasive diagnostic and interventional urology procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanova, D.; Hristova-Popova, J.; Avramova-Cholakova, S.; Deyanova, Ts.; Dobrikov, R.

2015-01-01

Full text: The aim of this study is to evaluate patient and staff doses in fluoroscopically guided invasive diagnostic and interventional urology procedures. All the data were collected in the Emergency Hospital 'N. I. Pirogov'. While recording data for the patients, a real time dosimetry measurement of the medical staff was made. Air kerma-area product (KAP) was recorded for intravenous pyelogram (IVP), percutaneous nephrostomy (PN) and ureteral 'double-J' stenting. Patient data sex, age and weight were also taken. Staff doses were estimated with the system RaySafe i2. It contains four dosimeters, with a wireless connection to a real time display. The dosimeters were worn on the unprotected upper part of the body and measured the personal dose equivalent Hp(10). The mean KAP values for the procedures are: 3.21 Gy.cm 2 for IVP, 10.37 Gy.cm 2 for PN and 4.15 Gy.cm 2 for 'double-J' respectively. The highest staff dose for PN and 'double-J' is received by the urologist (160 μSv and 47.3 μSv, respectively), while for the IVP the radiographer has the highest exposure (20 μSv). Each member of the medical staff was on a different position in respect to the X-ray tube and the patient, which is the main reason for the differences in the staff doses. The variations in the mean patient and staff doses are mostly due to the interventions themselves, their complexity and the individual treatment of every patient. RaySafe i2 is very useful as guideline for making a choice of a better position and in the decreasing of radiation exposure to the staff

Diagnostic procedure on brake pad assembly based on Young's modulus estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiariotti, P; Santolini, C; Tomasini, E P; Martarelli, M

2013-01-01

Quality control of brake pads is an important issue, since the pad is a key component of the braking system. Typical damage of a brake pad assembly is the pad–backing plate detachment that affects and modifies the mechanical properties of the whole system. The most sensitive parameter to the damage is the effective Young's modulus, since the damage induces a decrease of the pad assembly stiffness and therefore of its effective Young's modulus: indeed its variation could be used for diagnostic purposes. The effective Young's modulus can be estimated from the first bending resonance frequency identified from the frequency response function measured on the pad assembly. Two kinds of excitation methods, i.e. conventional impulse excitation and magnetic actuation, will be presented and two different measurement sensors, e.g. laser Doppler vibrometer and microphone, analyzed. The robustness of the effective Young's modulus as a diagnostic feature will be demonstrated in comparison to the first bending resonance frequency, which is more sensitive to geometrical dimensions. Variability in the sample dimension, in fact, will induce a variation of the resonance frequency which could be mistaken for damage. The diagnostic approach has been applied to a set of undamaged and damaged pad assemblies showing good performance in terms of damage identification. The environmental temperature can be an important interfering input for the diagnostic procedure, since it influences the effective Young's modulus of the assembly. For that reason, a test at different temperatures in the range between 15 °C and 30 °C has been performed, evidencing that damage identification technique is efficient at any temperature. The robustness of the Young's modulus as a diagnostic feature with respect to damping is also presented. (paper)

Improved radiation protection for physicians performing cardiac catheterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gertz, E.W.; Wisneski, J.A.; Gould, R.G.; Akin, J.R.

1982-01-01

Physicians and their assistants performing diagnostic angiography must be concerned with the radiation exposure they receive. The introduction of hemiaxial projections for imaging has increased diagnostic accuracy but has also greatly increased the physicians' exposure to scattered radiation. This increase is especially critical for the eyes and thyroid of the physician who routinely performs these procedures. To reduce such exposure a ceiling-suspended shield (60 x 45 cm), made of 6.4 mm glass with a 19.5 kg/m2 (4 lb/ft2) lead equivalency, was developed. During procedures the shield is interposed between the physician and the region of the patient acting as the source of scattered radiation. The degree of radiation protection to the operator was assessed by measuring the distribution of scattered radiation in the vicinity of the operator with and without the shield. The effectiveness of the shield was determined in the 30 degrees right anterior oblique (RAO), 5 degrees left anterior oblique (LAO), 35 degrees LAO, and 50 degrees LAO-15 degrees cranial angulations. At critical heights such as the level of the eyes and thyroid, scattered radiation levels were reduced by 85% or greater in all angulations. Without interfering with the physician's ability to observe the patient or manipulate the catheter, this shield can significantly reduce the physician's exposure to radiation

Coherent Synchrotron Radiation as a Diagnostic Tool for the LCLS Longitudinal Feedback System

CERN Document Server

Wu, Juhao; Huang, Zhirong

2005-01-01

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) will be the world's first x-ray free-electron laser (FEL). To ensure the vitality of FEL lasing, a longitudinal feedback system is required together with other diagnostics. In this paper, we study the possibility of using Coherent Synchrotron Radiation (CSR) from the chicane as the diagnostic tool for bunch length feedback. Calculations show that CSR is a good candidate, even for the non-Gaussian, double-horn longitudinal charge distribution. We further check the feasibility for low and high charge options, and also the possibility for detecting the microbunching.

Childhood leukaemia following medical diagnostic exposure to ionizing radiation in utero or after birth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakeford, R.

2008-01-01

A statistical association between childhood leukaemia and an abdominal X-ray examination of the pregnant mother was first reported in 1956 from a case-control study of childhood cancer mortality conducted in Great Britain. This study, later called the Oxford Survey of Childhood Cancers (OSCC), was continued and eventually showed a highly statistically significant ∼50% proportional increase in the risk of childhood leukaemia associated with antenatal diagnostic radiography. The association has been confirmed by many case-control studies carried out around the world, the appropriately combined results of which show a highly statistically significant increase in risk that is compatible with the OSCC finding. There is no doubt about the reality of the statistical association, but a causal interpretation has been questioned. On balance, however, the evidence points to low-level irradiation of the fetus increasing the risk of leukaemia in childhood, with an excess relative risk coefficient of around 50 Gy -1 (equivalent to an excess absolute risk coefficient of about 3% Gy -1 ), although the uncertainty associated with these coefficients is considerable and they are likely to be overestimates. In contrast to exposure in utero, the evidence from case-control studies for an association between childhood leukaemia and postnatal exposure to medical diagnostic irradiation is equivocal and sometimes conflicting. Since standard radiation risk models predict that low-level exposure in the early years of life should produce an increased risk of childhood leukaemia that is roughly similar to that arising from fetal exposure, this absence of persuasive evidence is likely to be due to various problems with the studies. This is unfortunate given the rise in relatively high dose diagnostic procedures (e.g. paediatric CT scans) that would be predicted to materially increase the relative risk of childhood leukaemia. (authors)

Radiation exposure of paediatric patients during micturating cysto-urethrography procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sulieman, A.; Babikir, E.; Alkhorayef, M.; Alrihaima, N.; Bradley, D.; Theodorou, K.

2015-10-01

The objectives of this work are to measure the entrance surface air kerma (ESA K) and the effective doses for pediatric patients undergoing MCU. The study was carried out in five hospitals in Khartoum. The ESA K was determined by using calibrated thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD- Gr 200 A) for 167 pediatric patients. Patients' populations were categorized into three groups in accordance with their ages (0-5 year (group 1), 6-10 years (group 2) and 11-15 years (group 3)). The mean ESA K± sd and range (mGy) resulting from MCU procedure has been estimated to be 2.2±0.5 (0.8-9.2), 2.48±0.6 (0.9-8.1) and 3.90±0.6 (1.1-10.3) for first, second and third age groups, respectively. The mean effective dose was between 0.03 to 0.4 mSv per procedure for all pediatric population. The number of films ranged between 2.0 to 11.0 per procedure. The radiation dose to the patients is comparable with previous studies in all hospitals. Pediatric patients were exposed to avoidable radiation dose because no gonad shields were used. (Author)

Radiation exposure of paediatric patients during micturating cysto-urethrography procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sulieman, A. [Prince Sattam Abdulaziz University, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Radiology and Medical Imaging Department, P. O. Box 422, Alkharj 11942 (Saudi Arabia); Babikir, E.; Alkhorayef, M. [King Saud University, College of Applied Sciences, Radiological Sciences Department, P. O. Box 10219, Riyadh 11433 (Saudi Arabia); Alrihaima, N. [Sudan Atomic Energy Commission, P. O. Box 55, Khartoum (Sudan); Bradley, D. [University of Surrey, Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Department of Physics, Surrey GU2 7XH Guildford (United Kingdom); Theodorou, K., E-mail: Abdelmoneim_a@yahoo.com [University Hospital of Larissa, Medical Physics Department, P. O. Box 1425, Larissa 41110 (Greece)

2015-10-15

The objectives of this work are to measure the entrance surface air kerma (ESA K) and the effective doses for pediatric patients undergoing MCU. The study was carried out in five hospitals in Khartoum. The ESA K was determined by using calibrated thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD- Gr 200 A) for 167 pediatric patients. Patients' populations were categorized into three groups in accordance with their ages (0-5 year (group 1), 6-10 years (group 2) and 11-15 years (group 3)). The mean ESA K± sd and range (mGy) resulting from MCU procedure has been estimated to be 2.2±0.5 (0.8-9.2), 2.48±0.6 (0.9-8.1) and 3.90±0.6 (1.1-10.3) for first, second and third age groups, respectively. The mean effective dose was between 0.03 to 0.4 mSv per procedure for all pediatric population. The number of films ranged between 2.0 to 11.0 per procedure. The radiation dose to the patients is comparable with previous studies in all hospitals. Pediatric patients were exposed to avoidable radiation dose because no gonad shields were used. (Author)

Risk and safety requirements for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in allergology: World Allergy Organization Statement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek L. Kowalski

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract One of the major concerns in the practice of allergy is related to the safety of procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disease. Management (diagnosis and treatment of hypersensitivity disorders involves often intentional exposure to potentially allergenic substances (during skin testing, deliberate induction in the office of allergic symptoms to offending compounds (provocation tests or intentional application of potentially dangerous substances (allergy vaccine to sensitized patients. These situations may be associated with a significant risk of unwanted, excessive or even dangerous reactions, which in many instances cannot be completely avoided. However, adverse reactions can be minimized or even avoided if a physician is fully aware of potential risk and is prepared to appropriately handle the situation. Information on the risk of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in allergic diseases has been accumulated in the medical literature for decades; however, except for allergen specific immunotherapy, it has never been presented in a systematic fashion. Up to now no single document addressed the risk of the most commonly used medical procedures in the allergy office nor attempted to present general requirements necessary to assure the safety of these procedures. Following review of available literature a group of allergy experts within the World Allergy Organization (WAO, representing various continents and areas of allergy expertise, presents this report on risk associated with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in allergology and proposes a consensus on safety requirements for performing procedures in allergy offices. Optimal safety measures including appropriate location, type and required time of supervision, availability of safety equipment, access to specialized emergency services, etc. for various procedures have been recommended. This document should be useful for allergists with already established

Patient doses from fluoroscopically guided cardiac procedures in pediatrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, L C; Vano, E; Gutierrez, F; Rodriguez, C; Gilarranz, R; Manzanas, M J

2007-01-01

Infants and children are a higher risk population for radiation cancer induction compared to adults. Although some values on pediatric patient doses for cardiac procedures have been reported, data to determine reference levels are scarce, especially when compared to those available for adults in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The aim of this study is to make a new contribution to the scarce published data in pediatric cardiac procedures and help in the determination of future dose reference levels. This paper presents a set of patient dose values, in terms of air kerma area product (KAP) and entrance surface air kerma (ESAK), measured in a pediatric cardiac catheterization laboratory equipped with a biplane x-ray system with dynamic flat panel detectors. Cardiologists were properly trained in radiation protection. The study includes 137 patients aged between 10 days and 16 years who underwent diagnostic catheterizations or therapeutic procedures. Demographic data and technical details of the procedures were also gathered. The x-ray system was submitted to a quality control programme, including the calibration of the transmission ionization chamber. The age distribution of the patients was 47 for 2 respectively for the four age bands. These KAP values increase by a factor of 8 when moving through the four age bands. The probability of a fatal cancer per fluoroscopically guided cardiac procedure is about 0.07%. Median values of ESAK for the four age bands were 46, 50, 56 and 163 mGy, which lie far below the threshold for deterministic effects on the skin. These dose values are lower than those published in previous papers

Practical X-ray diagnostics orthopedics and trauma surgery. Indication, adjustment technique and radiation protection; Praktische Roentgendiagnostik Orthopaedie und Unfallchirurgie. Indikation, Einstelltechnik, Strahlenschutz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flechtenmacher, Johannes [Ortho-Zentrum am Ludwigsplatz, Karlsruhe (Germany); Sabo, Desiderius [Klinik St. Elisabeth, Heidelberg (Germany). Sportopaedic Heidelberg

2014-07-01

The book on X-ray diagnostics in orthopedics and trauma surgery includes the following chapters: 1. Introduction: radiation protection, equipment technology radiological diagnostics of skeleton carcinomas, specific aspects of trauma surgery, special aspects of skeleton radiology for children. 2. X-ray diagnostics of different anatomical regions: ankle joint, knee, hips and pelvis, hand and wrist joint, elbow, shoulder, spinal cord. 3. Appendix: radiation protection according to the X-ray regulations.

Radiation protection in the intervenmtional radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, Benjamin V.; Lissek, Friedrich; Waldeck, Stephan

2017-01-01

Interventional radiology and neuroradiology covers a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic methods. A minimal invasive percutaneous access under imaging guidance is common for all these methods. The legal regulations for quality assurance are reviewed, technical possibilities for dose reduction and the importance of modern radiation protection procedures are discussed.

Accuracy and calibration of integrated radiation output indicators in diagnostic radiology: A report of the AAPM Imaging Physics Committee Task Group 190

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Pei-Jan P.; Schueler, Beth A.; Balter, Stephen; Strauss, Keith J.; Wunderle, Kevin A.; LaFrance, M. Terry; Kim, Don-Soo; Behrman, Richard H.; Shepard, S. Jeff; Bercha, Ishtiaq H.

2015-01-01

Due to the proliferation of disciplines employing fluoroscopy as their primary imaging tool and the prolonged extensive use of fluoroscopy in interventional and cardiovascular angiography procedures, “dose-area-product” (DAP) meters were installed to monitor and record the radiation dose delivered to patients. In some cases, the radiation dose or the output value is calculated, rather than measured, using the pertinent radiological parameters and geometrical information. The AAPM Task Group 190 (TG-190) was established to evaluate the accuracy of the DAP meter in 2008. Since then, the term “DAP-meter” has been revised to air kerma-area product (KAP) meter. The charge of TG 190 (Accuracy and Calibration of Integrated Radiation Output Indicators in Diagnostic Radiology) has also been realigned to investigate the “Accuracy and Calibration of Integrated Radiation Output Indicators” which is reflected in the title of the task group, to include situations where the KAP may be acquired with or without the presence of a physical “meter.” To accomplish this goal, validation test protocols were developed to compare the displayed radiation output value to an external measurement. These test protocols were applied to a number of clinical systems to collect information on the accuracy of dose display values in the field