QAQC

Question 1

quality assurance

Answer 1

planned and systematic set of activities which establishes + evaluates processes required to produce a diagnostic radiograph while protecting those involved

• preventative maintenance
• quality control
• equipment collaboration
• in-service education
• evaluation of new products

Question 2

quality control

Answer 2

process of comparing product quality with defined standards + action when nonconformance detected
- identifies defects to correct them
- provides quality that is: satisfactory, adequate, dependable, economic
- covers integrity + function of equipment and measures image quality

Question 3

reasons for QAQC

Answer 3

• minimize dose of radiation
• produce quality radiograph
• reduce cost per exam by decreasing repeated films

Question 4

vet tech role in QAQC

Answer 4

our role to do quality control testing, evaluating, recording
- objective data gathered
- depends on amount of radiography clinic performs

TESTS
1) SID check (source-image distance)
- smaller SID (density greater)
- larger SID (density lesser)
2) perpendicularity
- if tube head not perpendicular to table, beam not perpendicular to subject and image will be distorted
3) light field alignment mirror displacement
- if mirror displaced, lighted area on patient is not the same area radiation is going
4) screen-film contact
- normally intensifying screens inside cassette sandwich the film tightly, or else image will be blurred
5) fog/safelight test
- assess any fog in darkroom that may add unwanted density to radiograph during processing
6) PPE
- leaded products crack eventually, test and log results regularly
7) sensitometry/densitometry
- tests function of processor
- exposure made w/sensitometer, then processed, film then evaluated with densitometer
- check for base fog (grayness on film)
- speed step (density on film b/w 1-1.3 on densitometer)
- contrast (read density of step above speed step and step below, subtract, this number = your contrast)
- each day you process films you should run sensitometer test + plot your findings on a QC chart to see any trends, as long as your points are in the confines of graph you’re equipment is fine, if not corrective action needed