IRMER Quality Assurance Flashcards
What is the principle of radiation protection?
Keep radiation ALARP
How can you keep radiation ALARP? (3)
- Optimise dosage through technique
- Selection criteria to justify all exposures
- Produce optimal quality images
Define quality assurance
- Ensuring high quality images at high diagnostic yield are produced at minimum radiation dosage
- Getting it right 1st time
Why do we need QA? (5)
Reduce need for retakes
Minimise exposure to pt
Minimise cost
Minimise inconvenience
Save time
From legal POV why is QA needed?
IRMER 2017 legislation
Employers must implement and maintain QA programme
Who is responsible for QA?
Named person should be implementing QA
Whole dental team involved
Features of a QA programme?
- Comprehensive
- Evidence-based
- Convenient to operate and maintain
- Formally recorded
What 4 areas should a QA programme cover?
- QA IRMER 2017 employer’s procedures
- QA X-ray equipment and pt dose
- QA image processing and display equipment
- QA image quality
What does QA IRMER 2017 employers procedures involve?
Radiation protection file
Procedures for training
What is the radiation protection file?
Documents, procedures and records for safe use of X-ray equipment
What interval is radiation protection file reviewed at?
No more than 3 years
What does QA X-ray equipment and pt dose involve?
- Inventory of all x-ray equipment
- Records of testing
- In house checks
- Representative pt doses
What are the 4 ways dental x-ray equipment is checked?
Critical examination
Adequate testing
Routine testing
QA in-house checks
Whats the critical examination? When is it done?
- Done before equipment brought into practice
- For correct operation of safety features and warning devices
- Gives employer info about proper use, testing and maintenance
What is adequate testing? When/who done by?
- Prior to equipment being put into clinical use
- Often performed by installer same time as critical examination
- Confirms equipment operates correctly
What is routine testing? When is it done?
Every 3 years
Except for hand held x ray equipment = annual
What are in house QA checks? When are they done?
Every 6 months
Routine surveillance checks of equipment
What does QA of image processing and display equipment involve? (2)
Digital system checks:
- Image receptor
- Display screen
Film based system checks:
- Light tightness
- Processing performance
- Light box and viewing conditions
How often should digital IO image sensors be checked?
Every 3 months
What 3 checks are carried out on digital IO image sensors?
Visual inspection
Image uniformity
Subjective check of image quality
What does image uniformity test involve?
Low dose exposure made on image receptor, assess uniformity, absence of artefacts or signs of damage
What are the common defects on phosphor plates? (4)
Cracking of phosphor
Delamination of phosphor (edges peeling in)
Scratches / bite marks
Debris on plate
Bending of plate (soft thick line across plate)
What does a subjective image quality assessment involve?
Normal exposures made with same x ray set, using a step wedge / test object, image compared to baseline
What 3 checks are carried out on panoramic image receptors?
Visual inspection
Image uniformity
Image quality assessment
