Diagnostic Radiation

Question 1

What is Ionizing radiation?

Answer 1

Radiation that consists of particles, X-rays, or gamma rays with sufficient energy to cause ionization in the medium through which it passes.

Question 1

Why is ionising radiation bad for patients?

Answer 1

Ionising radiation damages body tissue

Question 2

What are some of the effects that can arise from a major dose of radiation?

Answer 2

Acute effects: nausea, vomiting, skin and deep tissue burns, and impairment of the body’s ability to fight infection. Low doses of ionizing radiation can increase the risk of longer term effects such as cancer.

Question 3

What is the relationship between risk between dose?

Answer 3

Risk is directly proportional to the effective dose given to the patient

Question 4

What is effective dose? What is the unit that it is measured in?

Answer 4

Effective dose is used to measure ionizing radiation in terms of the potential for causing harm. The sievert (Sv) is the unit of effective dose that takes into account the type of radiation and sensitivity of tissues and organs.

Question 5

What is the deterministic effect?

Answer 5

Deterministic Effects: the more radiation you give, the more of an effect you see
These are the effects that actually injure the patient. Regulations are in place to avoid these. Below a dose threshold, there is no effect. As this threshold is crossed, the increases the damage until the system fails and no more damage can occur.

Question 6

What is the role of a radiography?

Answer 6

• Produce high quality images
• Assist with Medical Diagnosis and Decision Making

Question 7

When were x-rays discovered?

Answer 7

The first major discovery and presentation of x-rays
occurred in 1895 by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, a Professor at Wuerzburg University in Germany.

Question 8

What are the three fields that a registered Radiographer must be familiar with?

Answer 8

1. Projection/ General
   Radiography
2. Fluoroscopy
3. Computed Tomography (CT)

Question 9

Why are 2 images obtained in at
least 2 planes- i.e. 90 degrees to each
other?

Answer 9

To showcase the three dimensional function/ organ

Question 10

What is a Venepuncture?

Answer 10

Venepuncture is the process of obtaining intravenous access – most commonly for the purpose of blood sampling. A hollow needle is inserted through the skin and into a superficial vein (typically in the cubital fossa of the forearm).

Question 11

What does in patients mean?

Answer 11

Patients within hospital:
Inpatients

Question 12

What does out patients mean?

Answer 12

Patients from outside
hospital:

Question 13

What is an x-ray?

Answer 13

An X-ray is a form
of medical imaging that uses electromagnetic
radiation to produce images of the tissues
inside the body, not just bone.

Question 14

What are the main features of general x-ray

Answer 14

Projection radiographs “x-rays”
* Moveable X-ray Tube
* Table
* Erect Bucky

Question 15

What is the ALARA principle?

Answer 15

ALARA stands for “as low as reasonably achievable”. ALARA means avoiding exposure to radiation that does not have a direct benefit to you, even if the dose is small. To do this, you can use three basic protective measures in radiation safety: time, distance, and shielding.

Question 16

What does supine mean?

Answer 16

Lying upwards

Question 17

What does prone mean?

Answer 17

Lying downwards

Question 18

What does Right lateral decubitus mean?

Question 19

What does Left laternal decubitus mean?

Question 20

What plane is flexion/extension?

Answer 20

Sagittal

Question 21

What plane is adduction/abduction?

Answer 21

Coronal / Frontal

Question 22

What is the most common x-ray?

Answer 22

Chest scan

Question 23

What are the features of the x-ray?

Answer 23

Exposure, position,
alignment

Question 24

Why do we strive for good chest x-ray scans?

Answer 24

Accuracy in production of chest images
increases pathology detection and
therefore increased opportunity for
treatment

Question 25

What is a radiograph?

Answer 25

Radiograph: An image of patient’s anatomy,
produced by x rays on an image receptor.
Image can be produced on film or viewed on
computers.

Question 26

Define an image receptor

Answer 26

Image receptor: the device that captures the
radiographic image that exits the patient.

Question 27

Define a central ray

Answer 27

Central ray: the centre most portion of the
xray beam emitted from the xray tube; that
portion with least divergence

Question 28

What does PA (Posteroinferior) mean?

Posterior to Anterior

Answer 28

The CR enters the body at the posterior surface and exits at the anterior surface.
- True PA is without intentional rotation (CR
perpendicular to the coronal plane.

Question 29

What does AP mean?

Anterior to Posterior

Answer 29

Anteroposterior (AP) is a projection of the CR
from anterior to posterior (opposite to PA)

Question 30

Name all the advantages of x-ray imaging

Answer 30

• Inexpensive
• Commonly available
• Relatively ‘easy’ to
  interpret
• Portable systems
  for ward imaging

Question 31

Name all the disadvantages of x-ray imaging

Answer 31

• Limited soft tissue
  information
• Uses ionizing
  radiation

Question 32

What do you need to place on the x-ray scan?

Answer 32

A minimum of two types of markers should be
imprinted on every radiographic image.
1. patient identification and date
2. anatomic side markers