PP5: Pregnancy Code of Safe Practice 5: X-rays in Medical Diagnosis Flashcards
For radiation personnel who declare themselves pregnant what dose are they allowed?
For woman who declare themselves pregnant, a dose of 2 mSv at the surface of the abdomen over the remainder of the pregnancy.
what protection procedures do you follow when can you ask non radiation personnel to hold patients?
The occasional use of non radiation personnel to give assistance, particularly in ward or theatre radiography, is acceptable but shall involve the full use of protective materials and techniques to minimise personnel dose. Care shall be taken to ensure that the same non- radiation personnel are not always involved. Women who are pregnant shall not be used in this role.
Non-radiation personnel should be chosen on the basis of a roster, i.e. it shall not always be the same person who does the holding. No pregnant women or young person (under the age of 18) shall do any holding.
Who are the preferred people to hold patients?
- people who come with patients
- non radiation personnel
- Radiation personnel
When do you xray pregnant women?
4.21 Diagnostic x-ray procedures involving the exposure of the abdomen of women likely to be pregnant shall be avoided unless there are strong clinical indications for the examination.
When do you assume a woman is pregnant?
4.22 It should be assumed that a women is pregnant if she has clearly missed her most recent expected menstruation, or is overdue, and there is no other relevant information.
How do you minimise the possibility of unintentional exposure of the embryo/foetus?
In order to minimise the possibility of unintentional exposure of the embryo/foetus there shall be notices posted at several places within the radiology facility (including in the dressing cubicle) with wording similar to or having the same meaning as, the following:
If you think you might be pregnant notify the MRT (radiographer), or nurse, before your x-ray examination.
When a patient tells you that they are pregnant, what do you do?
Upon being so informed by a patient, the medical radiation technologist shall refer the matter to a radiologist who shall decide whether the examination is to proceed, be performed in a modified form or be postponed for further consideration.
How do you protect an embryo or foetus?
X-ray examinations performed during the course of pregnancy shall involve the minimum radiation dose to the foetus consistent with obtaining images of the required diagnostic quality.
The use of alternative imaging modalities, especially ultrasound for obstetric procedures shall be used where appropriate. No woman shall undergo an x-ray examination to assess foetal development where ultrasound facilities are available.
X-ray pelvimetry shall not be performed on a routine basis.
4.28 Irrespective of whether plain film pelvimetry, axial CT pelvimetry, scan projection radiography pelvimetry or any combination of these is to be used, low dose techniques shall be used for each modality.
For examinations where the primary beam unavoidably irradiates the foetus, the method of minimising dose shall be used as appropriate, and particular attention shall be given to:
Minimising the number of views
Strict beam collimation
Using higher kVps
Using fast image recording media e.g. rare earth screens
Maximum total filtration in the useful beam; employing wedge filters for lateral views
Where practicable using PA projections in preference to AP projections; or where it is more desirable to perform the examination AP, then at least a wide 450mm compression band should be used.
X-ray examinations performed during the course of pregnancy and not involving the abdominal or pelvic regions shall
keep the primary x-ray beam collimated strictly to the region of interest, and hence avoid inadvertent primary beam irradiation of the foetus. Where the primary beam angulation is such that it may incidentally irradiate the abdominal region, that region should be shielded with an apron or similar, with a lead equivalence of not less than 0.5mm.
What dose can an embryo/foetus get before the physicists needs to estimate the dose and advice on the risks?
may exceed 5 mSv
