Tomography Critique

With the potential to harm and give problems in later life panoramic scans should only be used when completely 100% necessary in anyone especially a child. Also this study goes to show that even the most minimal of doses of radiation exposed to any given child can result in change, even if it doesn’t show at the time of concern.

Senzig, Robert. "Radiological Diagnosis 40 Years On: The Evolution of CT Imaging." GE Healthcare The Pulse. GE Healthcare, 29 May 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2017.(1)

There are two very divergent viewpoints across the medical provider landscape as to whether radiological testing is used too much or not enough. The basic equation comes down to a balance between being sure that certain conditions and disorders are not in play and not wasting time/money and/or exposing the patient to potential harm due to the fairly dangerous nature of being exposed to too much radiation.

160. This is quite a significant jump from 1987, when the NCRP Report No. 93 stated that a mere 11% was attributed to “medical imaging with ionizing radiation.”1 (pp169-170CT) In 2012, Kyle Morford and his colleagues reported that “over the past decade CT has increased from 4% to 11% of all diagnostic imaging studies.”2 (p45) This increase in number of scans come with an increase in patient dose. When a chest CT is performed, a patient gets a dose of 8 mSv. When a radiographic exam of the chest is done in two projections, the dose is around 0.02mSv. Of course, there are patient factors and contrast administration to consider, but the difference between the two modalities is roughly 400% increase.3 (p705) Knowing this, why is shielding not practiced in computed

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

Healthcare has evolved tremendously over the last few decades. Technology, being one of the biggest impacts has reached new heights and has advanced our learning and knowledge to places unimaginable. Many different modalities take place in the health field to ensure the greatest treatment for everyone with improving outcomes. Three modalities that have enhanced and have taken special roles in 3-D imaging include, CT scans, MRI, and Ultrasound; each with their own advantages and disadvantages. These modalities all require training, are cost effective, and take a specific amount of time to obtain all the necessary information. These same modalities have different traits regarding the use of radiation, contrast, evidence

X-rays may be invisible waves found on the electromagnetic spectrum which can almost make their known danger seem of little importance because our five senses cannot measure their activity, however x-rays must not be taken lightly. Radiologic Technologist must keep in mind the dangers and gravity of the force that they are working with on a daily basis. Patients should have the right to their own safety when undergoing a medical procedure that requires the use of x-rays. Radiologic Technologist are the ones responsible for upholding this safety. They can and must do this in variety of ways that include, making sure the patient is knowledgeable about the procedure, using correct collimation to the part under examination, and by shielding the

Professionalism is at the cornerstone of a radiographers practice. It ensures a patient can entrust skills and competence of the professional. The Australian Institute of Radiography list what radiographer should demonstrate in an fluoroscopic interaction. Highlighted is the need for expertise in infection control, setting parameters for screening, exposure factor comprehension, being a team member and being “mindful of… radiation protection” (Radiography, 2013). Being aware of the radiation exposed to the patient and team members is essential in practice. The governing body that regulates ionizing radiation is ARPANSA, Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safty Agency. They cite the “ALARA” priciple as the phiosophy for preventing radation to the patient. That is to keep dose As Low as Reasonably Archiveable (Protection, 2011). This can be achieved practically

Patients & Methods: This study was conducted on 11 patients during the period from January 2012 to May 2014 at our radiology department in Ain Shams University Hospitals. The study was approved by Ethical Committee of Scientific Research of Ain Shams University.

The first invention of radiology began with the creation of X-rays in 1895 when Wilhelm Roentgen, a 50-year-old professor of physics at Germany’s University of Wurzburg, made a discovery that would in a very short time change medical and human history. Though, discovered by accident, Roentgen’s discovery would help detect tumors, broken bones and bullets buried within bodies, never before seen with the naked eye. Since the invention of X-rays, there had been numerous discoveries of similar inventions, from image intensifier to ultrasound to magnetic resonance imaging. Without these inventions, humans would not have been able to see the inner workings of the body or detect key information in modern times that allow us to prevent serious illnesses where other inventions proved useless since imaging plays a huge role in diagnosis. In current society, radiology’s first creation has been exposed to most citizens, whether it is to detect a broken bone at the doctor’s or to determine a person’s risk of getting cavities at the dentist’s. Although, inventions from radiology does hold risks of radiation exposure amongst its patients, the benefits of them greatly outweighs its risks.

A similar observation was noted by Guimaraes et al[6] in their study that evaluated 362 biopsies.

Radiology allows physicians to look closely into the interior of the living human body without cutting it open and has transformed the way patients and physicians view health and disease. Radiology is the key diagnostic tool for many diseases that can be located in the brain, heart, and other organs or bone. It has an important role in monitoring treatment and predicting outcome. Radiologists have been strongly associated with technological developments and have been in charge of the evaluation of the strengths and weakness of different investigations. Radiologists have advanced the knowledge of the appropriate unified imaging design to expand clinical effectiveness. They have also been responsible for the performance of these development into the clinical setting and provide the best use of asserts and healthcare resources.

“Any chance that you may be pregnant? When was your last menstrual cycle?” These are critical questions that need to be asked within the imaging department. Radiation is not something that should be taken lightly. Radiation is when energy is emitted as a wave or particle that causes ionization. Ionizing radiation is what we are worried about especially for women during pregnancy. Only one cell has to be hit by radiation to cause a detrimental effect to a person. So you can see how important it is to try and keep pregnant mothers away from imaging departments in the healthcare field. The question is how much of a risk is it actually causing the patient when they are pregnant and coming into contact with radiation? How often does it actually

. Knickerbocker had no explanation to scanning Jacoby 151 times, she said she only pressed the button 4-6 times and the machine must have malfunctioned. Her story changed several times, she said Jacoby’s parents distracted her, the scanning table wouldn’t move incrementally, and Jacoby’s father was leaning on the table. Knickerbocker also stated that when she suspected the machine was malfunctioning, she called for help, but none arrived. Knickerbocker left the hospital two weeks after the incident and her license was suspended on September 30th by the California Department of Public Health. A report by the hospital’s medical physicist calculated that the boy’s absorbed radiation dose was 2.8 Gy (2,800 mSv) and possibly as high as 11 Gy (11,000 mSv). The dose the boy received compared to a range of 1.5-4.0 mSv for a normal pediatric CT study of the entire spine. A report by the hospital 's medical physicist concluded the child had a lifetime increased risk of a fatal cancer of 39%, (Estimated Risk of Radiation Induced Fatal Cancer from Pediatric CT. (2001, February 1). American Journal of Roentgenology, Pp 289-296). Bruce Fleck, the hospital’s former radiology manager, testified that there was no way the machine could have automatically taken the images, the machine was in the manual axial mode, “She had to hit the button each time.” Fleck continued on to say “I think it was just a rogue act of insanity”, (Bogdanich, W. (2009, October 15). Jacoby Roth and the Mad River

Magnetic resonance imaging has the potential of totally replacing computed tomography. If history was rewritten, and CT invented after MRI, nobody would bother to pursue CT. --Philip Drew (Mattson and Simon, 1996)