Protection of Imaging Personnel Flashcards
Radiation has the power to both
save and harm lives
use radiation to provide quality medical imaging, and must be aware of potential exposure to radiation’s detrimental effects
Radiologic Technologist
When proper _____ techniques are used, dangerous exposure levels can be avoided
time, distance and shielding
Protection techniques are even more important for a
pregnant radiologic technologist
Factors affecting the exposure risks of radiologic technologist and radiologist assistants
how to use an xray system whether they use protective measures whether they optimize patient doses the number of procedures they perform their height,which could affect how much scatter radiation reaches their eyes
factors influencing exposure time
how long a procedure takes
whether a technologist or operator moves efficiently through a procedure or adheres to a protocol
whether he or she is still learning the procedure
Susceptible to scatter radiation that mainly emanates from a patient
Radiologic Technologist
Main source of occupational radiation exposure
Scatter or secondary radiation
Help protect radiologic technologists from exposure to scatter radiation
Distance and Shielding
ICRP recommended that medical workers receive a
maximum radiation effective dose of 20mSv per year,
Average over 5 years, with no more than 50mSv in 1 year
Annual equivalent dose radiation limit to the skin, hands, and feet
500mSv each
Lens of the eye initial equivalent dose
150mSv
In 2011, equivalent dose for the lens of the eye
20 mSv per year, averaged of 5 years, with no single year exceeding 50 mSv
Following techniques to decrease the amount of radiation they receive
Pulsed fluoroscopy
Short fluoroscopy times
Minimal number of required images per series
Optimal dose rates for an acceptable image quality
If optimal dose rates are not used,
image quality will be poor and procedure will need to be repeated
worn by a radiologic technologist or radiation assistant absorbs radiation before it reaches the user’s body
Leaded protection garments
To reduce the risk of vision damage
Eye Protection
May be used to protect the entire face of personnel who are exposed to radiation, most likely in the form of scatter radiation
Face Masks
made of acrylic that is impregnated with lead and the head piece can be adjusted to fit the user
face mask
susceptible to radiation damage that can trigger negative effects throughout the body
Thyroid gland
Protection of the thyroid gland
Neck shield attached a lead apron
Thyroid collar
For Hand protection, we should be aware of where the ______
extremities are located in relation to the radiation beam
Radioprotective gloves could block ___ % of scatter radiation
15 to 30%
If gloved hands are in the beam’s path, a fluoroscopic machine will automatically ___
increase the kilovolts (raising the amount of radiation exposure
Also less accommodating for procedures that require dexterity
Thicker gloves
best options personnel lead to protect their hands during niterventional radiology and cardiology procedures
Time and distance
popular garment technologists use for protection
lead apron
All staff in fluoroscopy should wear
lead apron
It can sufficiently protect the areas it covers from radiation
lead apron
Degree of protection for lead apron depends on
lead’s thickness and beam’s intensity
may receive equal or higher amount of radiation as to hands
Legs and feet
the mean radiation dose to operator’s leg was
bet, 0.19 and 2.16 mSv per year
While the hands received
bet. 0.04 and 1.25 mSv
leg exposure can dropped to ___ when protection was used
approx. 0.02 mSv
can be used to protect the legs of personnel involved with interventional procedures
Lead screens
Could be constructed from used lead aprons
table shield
Can be also helpful to reduce scatter radiation
Drape over or under a patient
physics of radiation helps protect radiologic technologist from unwanted exposure
Inverse square law
“Radiation dissipated inversely as the distance from the source is squared - tissue twice as far away from the radioactive seed receives 1/4 the dose
Inverse square law
Decribes how the radiation’s energy declines
Defino and Day
when a rad tech confirms she is pregnant, the first step in protecting herself and her fetus is
to declare her pregnancy to her employer (Declaration of Pregnancy)
Once the declaration has been filed, fetus is treated like a
member of the general population
NCRP recommends an occupational radiation fetal dose limit of
5.0 mSv during entire pregnancy (with a daily limit of 0.025mSv) and less than 0.5 mSv per month
ICRP recommends less than
1.0mSv total fetal exposure during entire pregnacy