Quality Control Research Paper

While traditionally a lead wall was shielding radiography technicians, with the newer technology of handheld portable devices things have changed. As stated by RDE “the operator should stand 6 feet from the x-ray tube during the exposure.” This can’t be achieved because with handheld portable devices the operator is standing in the room with the patient and the x-ray device is in their hands. National guidelines recommend while using portable devices that the operator stand up to at least a distance of 1-2 m away from the patient. (FSI) In order for the radiographer to be considered safe they would need to be wearing a lead apron themselves, and lead gloves. With Nomad being the most known portable x-ray device, they’re provided with circular lead-filled shields attached to the end of the exit tube, which is known to help reduce scatter

- Even though the X-ray expose patient to harmful radiation it is used to see inside the human body and diagnose broken bones, gallstones and later tuberculosis.

Specific goal: For the audience to understand and comprehend the importance, history, and safety concerns regarding X-rays

The FDA also watches certain electrical devices to make sure that they do not give off adverse amounts of radiation. Examples of equipment that fall under its jurisdiction are radiation safety performance standards for microwave ovens, television receivers, diagnostic x-ray equipment, cabinet x-ray systems (such as baggage x-rays at airports), laser products, ultrasonic therapy equipment, mercury vapor lamps, and sunlamps. They are also in charge of going to mammography facilities and inspecting them.

Radiology Technologist have been around for almost a century. “Radiology Technologist works in various places taking diagnostic imaging examinations for patients, which are x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, and mammography.” (eHow) This job is one of the few in the world that can give the risk of cancer to the rad-techs. And is stilled one of the most needed in the medical field. Radiology Technologist needs to understand computers and what the x-rays show, and how to set up a patient for and x-ray to be taken. Radiology Technologist are one of the highest paid in the medical field. This is because the job has more risk than any other job in the medical field. The radiology technologists have used x-rays for what has almost been in use

The article Radiation Protection of Medical Staff1 looks at the various occupational hazards medical imaging personnel face on a day to day basis. As technology has improved over the years, there has been an increase in the number of medical imaging procedures in which medical imaging staff must stay in the room or near the patient when the radiation exposure takes place. Because of this, medical imaging personnel could be at a substantial risk of occupational exposure to radiation and they must be aware of the proper actions and steps that are in place to keep their occupational exposure dose as low as reasonably achievable.

One thing that is important to the veterinary technician that is taking the radiographs is the personal protective equipment to the tech. Being able to use all of the proper personal protective equipment (ppe) when taking x-rays will decrease the exposure of radiation to the veterinary technician. The things that a vet tech needs to wear when taking an x-ray are: lead-lined aprons, lead-lined gloves, thyroid shield, and lead glasses. I chose personal protective equipment because I feel that the ppe is the most important to the vet tech than anything else.

c. To set guidelines to be followed for checking radiology systems performance and maintaining optimum image quality and equipment safety for the technologist who operate these systems and the patients as well.

Radiology is a medical specialty that uses different imagaing technologies to diagnose and to treat many different diseases and injuries that are inside the human body. Being a professional in the health care environment today is a very important job. The American Registry of Radiologic Technologist (ARRT) created a mandatory continuing education (CE) exam for all radiologic technologist. The ARRT defines the continuing education requirements as "planned, organized and administered to enhance the knowledge and skills underlying the professional performance that the technologist uses to provide services to patients, the public or the medical profession. To qualify as a CE activity, it must provide sufficient depth and scope of a subject area."

There has been an increased demand from the regulatory agencies that some standard of quality should be maintained on x-ray units and other equipment which can potentially harm the patients if the units are not performing as they are supposed to. Frequent requirement from these agencies is that institutions that use CT scanner should verify the performance of the scanner periodically (e.g. daily, monthly and annually) and if the performance standards are not met, they should often prescribe alternative measures. A QC program must be operational in order to meet these regulatory requirements. However in NM department, if CT fails its QC, it gets reported to the department’s physicist(s) who will either advice to

The effects of radiation can be hazardous to any part of the human body. In this guide I will explain the advantages, and disadvantages of x-ray radiation. I will also discuss the technological advances that we have today then of what we had the past on the human body during radiation exposure. I will explain preventions of exposure and safety precautions that we as dental assistants as well as patients can follow to stay safe.

In DXA the production of photons, based on the use of an X-ray tube (18), leads to shorter imaging times (less than 5 min) with enhanced resolution and improved accuracy than in DPA using a radionuclide source. Like DPA, this technique determines BMD in two dimen¬sions (from an anterior-posterior image). A DXA scanner consists of a mobile X-ray source, an examination table for the patient, and a de¬tection system that detects radiation emerging from the bones being examined. The X-ray source is under the examination table and moves together with the detection system, which is located opposite the X-ray source and over the patient’s body (18).

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner has become an ideal tool for various clinical diagnosis and frequently used because it is not using ionizing radiation (1). Despite of that fact, it does not prevent that MRI environment could be unsafe for patients and workers at the same time under different circumstances such as negligence and the patients themselves. A comprehensive MRI safety training to protect patients and other healthcare workers from potential bio-effects and risks of the magnetic fields in an MRI suite is therefore essential. The knowledge of the purpose of safety zones in an MRI suite as well as MRI appropriateness criteria is important for all healthcare professionals who will work in the MRI environment or refer patients for MRI scans Sammet S et al.

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 this stability and mass production, x-rays machines became very common everywhere. From large factories, to doctors offices, all the way to the corner store of small towns, where children and adults alike could insert a coin into a machine and view the bones in their feet. (3.) Because of their relative adolescences in the world, not much was known about x-rays or their effects on the human body. The first theories about the rays’ effects on the human body were that they had beneficial applications. With this being the only theory about their effect, widespread use went on, unmonitored, and unregulated. This unregulated use led to injuries but because of their slow onset the injuries were never attributed to x-rays. While some scientists tied certain skin burns to over exposure of x-rays it wasn’t until popular minds of the world like Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and William J. Morton expressed that they experienced eye pain when dealing with the rays for extended periods of time that people began to connect the dots and understand the negative