Mobile Radiography Equipment Flashcards
What is mobile radiography equipment?
Equipment that has wheels that enable it to be moved to a specific location to be used, for both radiography or fluoroscopy.
What is portable radiography equipment?
Equipment that may be carried to a destination to be used
What points should be considered when purchasing a new mobile X-ray machine?
- Cost
- Range of movement
- Movement locks
- Drive - radiographer power or motor driven
- Safety interlocks
- Light-beam diaphragm and collimator
- Integral tape measure
- Cable storage: care must be taken with the mains lead to prevent damage that may compromise earthing of the equipment
- Electrical supply - some mains dependent machines require a special mains circuit
- Easy to clean
- Ability to be locked
- Servicing
- Training of staff
- Cost of replacement items
- Ease of upgrading
- Weight
- Ease of image acquisition
What are some potential safety issues related to mobile equipment?
- Used as intended
- Charge in a well-ventilated area (H and O2 given off when lead acid batteries charge)
- Care taken in anaesthetic areas - risk of explosion
- Keep equipment clean to avoid cross-infection
- Radiation safety
- Move according to manufacturer’s instructions
- Park in safe place
- Brakes when stationary
- Electrical safety
- Manual handling issues
- Careful of lines, drains, things on floor, etc.
Who is the Operator?
Any person who is entitled in accordance with the Employer’s procedures, to carry out any practical aspect associated with the procedure of a medical exposure.
The operator shall be responsible for each and every practical aspect they carry out.
What can be used as a part of radiation protection for mobile equipment?
- Length of the exposure button cable – provides protection for the operator
- Collimation – provides protection for the patient(s)
- Exposure controls/exposure book – provides protection for the patient(s)
- Audible beep and light on control panel to indicate exposure has occurred – provides protection for all
- LBD – provides protection for the patient
- Lead coat – for operator
- Radiation warning signs – for other staff, relatives and other patients
- Lead screens – to protect staff, relatives and other patients
What are the responsibilities of the operator?
The operator has full responsibility for ensuring that the local rules are applied and for making sure that other persons involved in the vicinity are properly advised about actions they should take when an exposure is to be made.
What are the justifications for a mobile X-ray?
- Correct completion of request
- Patient unable to travel to main department
- Practitioner authorises request
- Operator agrees with request
- Exposure is of direct benefit to the patient
What are the three ways different types of mobile equipment is powered?
- Energy may be drawn directly from the mains supply.
- A capacitor may be charged from the mains voltage, and then discharged across the x-ray tube.
- Batteries can provide the current and voltage required by an x-ray generator.
What are the potential issues with mains dependent equipment?
- Must be plugged in to a mains supply in order to produce an x-ray exposure
- Has batteries for drive
- Supply cable must be robust with 3 low-resistance conductors and safely stored when not in use
- High current
- Very short exposure
- Plugs have no fuse
- Thicker than average supply cable
What are the advantages and disadvantages of capacitor discharge equipment?
- Consistent exposure
- Exposure is dependent upon the charge stored on the capacitor, not the mains voltage and resistance
- Only requires a small amount of mains current to charge the capacitor so requires no special mains supply
- Old fashioned
What are the issues with battery-powered generator equipment?
- Batteries must be regularly charged
- Equipment must be parked safely to charge the batteries
- Direct voltage must be converted to an alternating voltage in order to be “stepped up” to kV
- Alternating kV converted back to direct kV
- Batteries may be nickel-cadmium (NiCad) or lead-acid type
- All batteries are sealed for safety
- Batteries are charged by connecting to the mains supply when not in use
- Separate batteries for drive and exposure – why?
Why is battery-powered generator equipment advantageous?
- Usually motorised
- Saves time
- Safe Manual handling practice
- Forward and reverse controls, slow and fast speeds
- Brakes and locks to slow down and immobilise equipment
How can the risks of mobile radiography in the resuscitation room environment be reduced?
- Collimate
- Use the ‘fastest’ imaging receptor
- Use a high kV where possible
- Ensure that only the patient is in the primary beam
- Avoid repeats by correct positioning and use of correct centring points
- Record exposures on the imaging system for future references
- Ensure that only essential staff are in the vicinity and that they are at least 2 metres from the source of the primary beam and not in direct line of the primary beam
- Never direct the primary beam towards the operator
- Is the examination necessary?
Name five areas of the hospital where mobile radiography is taken and give a rationale.
- Intensive Care Unit - patient often in critical condition and moving them creates a significant risk to their wellbeing
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit - very vulnerable to changes in environment and temperature; susceptible to infection; specialist equipment required to sustain life
- Cardiac Care Unit - careful monitoring required and they may deteriorate rapidly
- High dependency Units - highly infectious or immuno-suppressed patients
- Mortuary - inappropriate to move deceased patients around hospital; part of post mortem or forensic examination
