Radiation doses atc Flashcards
What is the approximate radiation does for a extra-oral DPT?
0.02 mSv
When were xrays first developed?
1895 by Roentgen
Edmund Kells took the first dental xray in 1896
Which radiation legislation do us as dentists use?
Ionising Radiation Regulations (IRR) 1999
Ionising Radiation Medical Exposure Regulation (IRMER) 2000
What does the IRR (ionising radiation regulation 1999) relate to?
It relates to the workplace and employees
It provides a framework for ensuring that exposure to ionising radiation arising from work activities, is kept as low as reasonably practical and does not exceed specific limits
What is IRMER 2000?
A document aimed towards patient protection
Minimies risks to patients undergoing medical exposures
It is enforced by the CQC England and the Healthcare inspectorate Wales
What 4 classes of duty holder does IRMER 2000 define?
Employer (legal person)
Referrer
Practioner
Operator
Who is the referrer?
An authorised person that requests the radiograph
The referrer has to perform an adequate history and examination and provide sufficient details regarding the clinical exposure to enable the practictioner or operator to justify the procedure
SUPPLY CLINICAL DETAILS TO ALLOW JUSTIFICATION
What is the function of the practitioner?
TO JUSTIFY THE PROCEDURE
do the benefits outweigh the risks?
Who is responsible for justifying the radiological procedure?
Practitioner
is the radiogrpah going to change the way that you manage the patient?
JUSTIFICATION SHOULD BE RECORDED IN THE PATIENT NOTES
What is meant by the term authorisation?
Recording that justification has been carried out prior to the exposure
(medico-legal exposures must be authorised by the dentist)
What is the function of the operator?
OPTIMISATION OF ALARA
identify the patient, position the tube head, set the exposure, develop the film, evaluate the film
How do you keep doses of radiation as low as possible to patients?
Justify the radigraph
use collomators
What is the dose limit for patients?
There is no written dose limit
What is the role of the IRMER Employer?
They have legal responsibilities to apply IRR and IRMER
they need to be suitably trained and know the dose limits and be able to carry out risk assessments
What does HSE stand for?
Health and saftey executive
When (in terms of radiography) will a dental practitioner need to contact the HSE?
When they want to take radiographs and would like to install equiptment
when there is new ownership of a practice or change of address
THE HSE DO NOT NEED TO BE CONTACTED WHEN EQUIPTMENT IS CHANGED OR RENEWED
Who is responsible for contacting the HSE?
The IRMER Employer
What is the HSE 5 step approach to risk assessment?
- Identify the hazards
- decide who might be harmed and how they might be protected
- evaluate the risks- protective measures
- record the findings
- review and revise the risk assessment.
Give 5 duties of the Employer
Undertake risk assessments
notify the HSE when required
ensure all neccessary systems are in place
establish a Quality Assurance programme (QA)
Ensure that written protocols are in place for every type of radiological exposure
What is the role of the medical physics expert?
To provide adive on:
- Patient dosage
- development and use of new and/or complex techniques
- other matters realting to radioation exposures for dental procedures
True of false
Each dental practice must have a Radiation Protection Advisor (RPA)
TRUE
The appointment must be in writing (IRR 1999)
What is the role of the Radiation Protection Advisor (RPA)?
Safety management
training
What does RPS stand for and what is their responsibility?
Radiation protection supervisor ( IRR 1999)
Each practice needs one. It is usually a dentist but can be a dental nurse
They ensure that the necessary rules are followed
What is a DRL?
A diagnostic reference level
ie the doses for typical examinations of the average sized patient
this information is usally displayed next to the xray machine
EMPLOYERS MUST TAKE ACTION IF THESE ARE EXCEEDED
When do you have to report an over exposure?
When a patient is perceived to have 20x the intended dose
The RPA must be contacted and the patient should be informed of the incident
What is the atomic mass of an atom?
The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom
What is the mass of an electron?
1/1840
What is the atomic number
The number of protons in an atom
If an atom is exctied, what happens to the electron?
It moves from an inner shell to an outer shell. Ie the electron moves to a higher energy level
What is the binding energy?
The energy required to overcome the attraction and remove an electron from an atom. The binding eneergy is greatest for the electron in the K shell, ie the one closest to the nucleus.
What is ionisation?
The removal of one or more electrons from an atom, giving it a positive charge