Computed Tomography Imaging Summary

In this paper, I will be discussing what the advantages and the disadvantages of Digital Radiography in Diagnostic Radiology. Further more present factors with each subject showing how they are distinguished as an advantage and an disadvantage. Time, money, and radiation dosage to the patient are very important factors these days because of how many different regulations there are and the concerns for the patient as well. Digital Radiography also known as DR is static images produced with a fan x-ray beam intercepted by a linear array of radiation detectors or an area x-ray beam intercepted by a photostimulable phosphor plate or direct-capture solid-state device.

Digital radiography (DR) is a revolutionary invention in radiography. With this technology, no cassette is needed for an x-ray examination meaning that there is no need to reload films or to erase imaging plate in every examination. This is a distinctive feature which conventional radiography and computed radiography (CR) do not have. DR was first introduced in 1996 (Carroll, 2011). Miniature electronic x-ray detectors are used as the image receptor. The detectors enable the direct capture of the x-ray image without conversion steps (like the conversion of x-ray photos into light photons). This technology is widely used nowadays since it has many advantages and it brings much convenience to radiographers. One of the main advantages of DR is image post-processing in which the quality of the film (in terms of contrast and brightness, etc.) can be adjusted to reach the desired standard. Therefore, the tolerance of the deviation of the exposure factors is greater and the need of repeating the examination is greatly reduced so the patient dose is reduced. This follows the as low as reasonably achievable principle for radiation protection and this also improve the final image quality simultaneously. Besides, many DR systems were installed with preset for numerous anatomical studies which can improve the post processing. Like CR, the images produced are in digital format so this provides convenience for radiographers to store and retrieve the image easily. DR is also capable to work with PACS

AEC maxed out: GE’s automatic exposure control (AEC) tools, SmartmA and AutomA, select tube current levels during an exam between minimum and maximum tube current limits based upon the patient habitus as interpreted from the last acquired CT localizer radiograph. If the noise index requested for an image is lower than is allowed by the maximum tube current, the AEC will choose the maximum tube current throughout the scan. This infrequent occurrence can happen due to patient positioning which increases patient dose [17, 18, 31, 32], improperly chosen or set-up protocol [21, 33], or large patient size. If a scan is maxed out in mA for the entire scan, then the average and the maximum mA values will be identical. In such a case, we classify the protocol as having either a manual mA technique or being “maxed out”. If the maximum mA and the average are not equal, then we classify the irradiation event as having utilized

The risk to benefit ratio must be weighed before giving a patient that much exposure. “A chest CT typically delivers more than a hundred times the radiation dose of a routine frontal and lateral chest x-ray” (NCBI, 2009). Computed tomography is the method of choice for several issues regarding the head and neck, and chest and abdomen. It is used for trauma to the head or neck, frequently following a car accident. It can be used to look for hydrocephalus, brain bleeds, or even a

I agree with you that doses are very small. I see your point of caring for the patient and not necessarily use a lead shield. However, remember the rules of personal protection: Time, Dose and Distance. If you have a procedure that might take you an hour and you will spend it with a patient, you will be exposed to a higher dose of radiation. I would think that in this particular example, we should use a lead shield, because we want to minimize/ decrease our annual dose of radiation exposure. If we will neglect all the safety rules, we might be in trouble. You always wear your seat belt while driving, right? It will increase your chance of survival during a car accident. Some people neglect to do that, like my husband, and his risk of being

In the class, it has been stressed that there is an importance to lower the radiation dose to the patient. It is important to lower the dose of radiation because it reduces the chance of radiation induced complications. It is the one of the priorities of a radiographer to reduce the radiation dose to the patient. This article was informative of another way to reduce the dose to the patient. Radiation dose for all patients should be reduced as much as possible because radiation does have harmful effects and should be limited throughout a year. The project was done to “determine if having a laser targeting system would decrease the radiation dose by eliminating unintentional radiation prior to localizing the region of interest” (Schenk & Johnston p. 39). The idea behind laser targeting was to limit and reduce the time it took to do the procedure, by reducing time exposed to radiation it lowers the dose to the patient. The laser “aids the technologist in properly aligning the c-arm in the desired position without exposing the patient to radiation” (Schenk & Johnston p. 42). Before the radiation dose was higher because the part of interest was located while radiation was occurring. Now to know that the laser can locate the part of interest before exposing the patient to radiation will help allow me to reduce patient dose if there is a laser with that particular fluoroscopic machine. Even though this experiment was done using pediatric patients, it is relevant information for adult patients as well because it is important to lower radiation dose regardless of age. This information will be helpful in the future because fluoroscopy is a common procedure and if there is a laser available on the machine, it should be utilized so radiographers and students can help reduce the radiation dose to that patient especially, now that it was found to have some effect on

To review the principles of CT, first we need to know the physics basic of X-ray imaging. Attenuation, which is defined as the removal of X-ray photons from the beam, occurs in biologic

This article addresses ways to improve the radiation doses in occupationally exposed interventional personnel through the implementation of new radiation protection devices. More specifically this article examines the effectiveness of a non-lead disposable drapes in a radiation exposed area of a hospital through experimentation and data collection. According to the results, the drapes “substantially reduce the radiation dose to personnel with minimal or no additional radiation exposure to the patient”. The study was conducted in 3 phases, called “Phase 1”, “Phase 2”, and “Phase 3”. Phase 1 consisted of a normal routine fluoroscopy with the standard catheterization lab equipment. Such equipment consisted of lead aprons and a C-Arm Angiographic x-ray with tight collimation capabilities and an image intensifier. This phase consisted of a fluoroscopic run with and without collimation. Phase 2 consisted a control group and an experimental group of patients. Patients in the control did not wear the radiation protecting drape. The results showed a “reduced factor of 12 for the eyes, 25.8 for the thyroid, and 29.4 for the hands”

The amount of radiation people are being exposed to is continuously increasing. Medical imaging plays a big role in this increase, mostly being CT scans. This increase is radiation has been a concern to the public because of the risks patients face. It can result in long-term harm, such as increasing their chances of developing cancer. The concern has been more focused on pediatric patients because of their bodies’ greater sensitivity and they would have a longer amount of time they would have to embody any changes. Four societies started the Image Gently campaign to raise awareness of the need to decreases radiation doses when performing medical scans. Image Gently’s goal is to reduce unnecessary exposure to pediatric patients and was considered

Either for possible dose reduction or changes in clinical practice, evaluation of CT protocols is an important part of imaging management. Many institutions have undertaken dose reduction programs [1-9] which are now mandated by the latest Joint Commission [10], American College of Radiology [11, 12], Image Wisely [13], Image Gently [14], and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine guidelines [15, 16]. These programs evaluate whether the written protocols reflect the latest in our scientific understanding of what scanner parameters produce the lowest possible dose while still providing diagnostic images. These studies focus on the protocol design. The actual implementation of the protocols, however, has an important impact on whether

A CT scan, also known as computed tomography, utilises the computed compiling of many X-rays taken from all different directions around an object in order to form tomographic images of precise areas of the object, allowing one to see inside the object without incision. Because of the involvement with gamma rays in the process of a CT scan, there is an, albeit small, increase in the risk of developing cancer every time a scan is performed. This small payoff is almost always worth it, as CT scans play a huge part in not only modern medical imaging, but has more recently been

In order to become a Radiation Safety Officer, one must first meet a few requirements. Depending on what field he or she is attempting to make a stable career in, they must first be trained the proper routines and procedures that he or she will need to be successful. In this case, I will be presenting information on what a person needs to do, to be qualified as a Radiation Safety Officer in a medical field. I did my research on becoming a radiation safety officer in the medical field because that field has always intrigued me. The advancement that field has made have always seem to find a way to impress me. Just when you think that something cannot be done, science finds a way to come out with something new. Just like with any new technology, there will always be a trial and error stage. This means that there will always be the need for someone to keep safe those who operate the technology and those who the technology gets operated on. Especially when the staff becomes in contact with radioactivity more than the average person. Throughout my paper, I will be describing the requirements and the

When assisting the patient, the radiographers have to make sure they provide radiation safety not only for the patient but also for themselves. There are many different methods to providing safety. With the equipment and radiation dosage, highest KVp and the lowest mAs is used to provide the minimum amount of dosage required for the procedure. Furthermore, safety can be provided by reducing the amount of rime in radiation area, by putting as much distance between you and the radiation source as possible. When performing a portable examination stand at least six feet from x-ray source and wear a lead apron. The patient should remove any jewelry or metal accessories that may interfere with radiation procedure and both the technologist and the patient needs to wear protective lead shields for example lead gloves, aprons, skirts and thyroid shields to protect the other body parts from the radiation. It is advised to also always wear monitoring device at collar level. Lastly, the technologist uses immobilization devices to hold the patients when needed.

With the advancement of technology, medical sciences have also reaped benefits out of the advanced and systematic techniques and methods for treatment. One such advancement comes in from radiation development and treatment for a number of diseases that were difficult to diagnose and present a treatment. Radiation therapy has been discovered to be the most effective treatment of cancers and is known to be the most viable and frequently used treatment method for cancerous cells in human body. There are three types of treatments used with radiation namely External beam radiation therapy, internal radiation therapy and Radioisotope therapy. Radioisotope therapy makes use of transmitting isotopes in the bloodstream to target the treating cells in human body. Internal radiation therapy or Brach therapy places the radiation directly to eliminate the cancerous tumors (Khan, 2010). The advantage in this type of therapy is that it is kept from other healthy cells as minimal as it could be. The external beam radiation uses X-ray images to help diagnose the symptoms and treat outwards through medications. The uses are not limited to treating cancerous cells but also the radiations are used to make diagnosis in human body by presenting clear images of internal organs and cellular systems. These are the long lasting benefits of radiation usage however; it implies number of health hazards, which are causing severe health problems on the

Ionizing radiation is used worldwide in medicine to help physicians diagnose and treat a multitude of health problems. According to the World Health Organization, “annually, worldwide, more than 3,600 million X-ray examinations are performed, 37 million nuclear medicine procedures are carried out, and 7.5 million radiotherapy treatments are given” (2014). With so many patients exposed to ionizing radiation in medicine, strict global safety regulations must be enforced to ensure patient exposure is kept as low as possible. Using the basic principle of ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable), global organizations analyze patient exposures to ensure their radiation dose levels are kept as low as possible, without compromising the integrity of examinations. These organizations also ensure that radiation workers are not receiving unnecessary occupational exposure.