Radiation

Question 1

Ionising radiation regulations 2017 (used to be 1999)

Answer 1

concerned with radiographic equipment, workers + the public - always inform HSE

• location of 1.5 metre control area and 2m safety zone
• location of isolator switch + contingency plan
• name of radiation protection supervisor
• protect other people away from controlled area

Question 2

Legal person

Answer 2

a designated person who ensures the workplace’s full compliance with both sets of regulations

Question 3

Radiation protection advisor (RPA)

Answer 3

a medical physicist who is appointed in writing by the dental workplace and is available to give advice on staff and public safety

Question 4

Radiation protection supervisor (RPS)

Answer 4

a designated person within the workplace who can assess risks and ensure precautions are taken to minimise them, in accordance with IRR99

Question 5

Ionising radiation (medical exposure) regulations 2018 (used to be 2000) governed by CQC

Answer 5

concerned with patients

• store dental films correctly
• try to minimise retakes
• COSHH guidelines in relation to accidents
• avoid accidental exposure

Question 6

Referrer

Answer 6

the dentist who refers the pt for radiation exposure, either to themselves or to another dentist or specialist dental radiographer who can carry out that exposure

Question 7

IR(ME)R practitioners

Answer 7

the dentist or specialist radiographer who takes responsibility for justifying the taking of the radiograph, by determining that the diagnostic benefits gained will outweigh the risks of the exposure to the pt

Question 8

Operator

Answer 8

any member of the dental team who carries out all or part of the practical duties involved with the exposure + processing of the radiograph

• patient identification
• positioning of film, pt and machine tube head
• setting the exposure controls
• pressing the exposure button
• processing the film
• evaluating the quality of radiographs
• carrying out test exposures for quality assurance purposes
• running quality assurance programmes

Question 9

Quality assurance

Answer 9

QA programmes and audits provide a valuable took in determining whether the systems in place to protect patients (and staff) from potential harm from ionising radiation are actually working, by looking at the procedures, the results achieved and analysing any problems encountered so policies and techniques can be suitably adjusted + updated where necessary

Question 10

Scoring system in clinical governance

Answer 10

Score 1 - excellent with no errors 70% of all exposures
Score 2 - diagnostically acceptable minimal errors 20%
Score 3 - unacceptable quality needs retake 10% of all exposures

Question 11

What we must do

Answer 11

-Radiation safety must be checked at least every 3 years to ensure that x-ray sets are adequately shielded to prevent stray radiation - must have regular professional maintenance
-use of fastest films (e + f speed) allow shortest possible exposure time. Cassettes should be fittest with fastest rare earth intensifying screens
-plastic aiming cones are not acceptable, must have rectangular collimator tubes to further reduce beam size
This will all reduce scatter by 40%