Radiation Protection Chapter 1

Who has the responsibility for radiation safety?

-employers of radiation workers -the workers themselves

Probability of injury, ailment, or death resulting from an activity

Risk

How do healthcare professionals accept a portion of the responsibility for patient welfare?

by providing high-quality imaging services

Advantages of BERT?

-BERT does not imply radiation risk; it is simply a means of comparison -BERT emphasized that radiation is an innate part of our environment -The answer given in terms of BERT is easy for the patient to comprehend

Know the 3 ways we talked about reducing exposure to the patient?

-Reduce amount of x-ray "beam-on" time -Use as much distance between tube and patient as possible for specific exam -Always shield patient when appropriate

Know how to reduce occupational exposure to the technologist?

-Shortening the length of time spent in a room where radiation is produced -Stand at greatest distance possible from beam -Throw in a radiation absorbent shielding material between the radiographer and the source of radiation

Know what TRACE stands for and what it is?

-Tools for Radiation Awareness and Community Education -to create a radiation dose awareness and dose reduction program for patients

Know the components of the TRACE Program

-technologic enhancements such as embedded software capable of recording and reporting dose, -timely notifications of the patient and the referring physician when the radiation dose is greater than 3 Gy, -substantial lowering of CT doses through improved technology and altering existing protocols.

What does the ALARA method compare and know the example?

-the amount of radiation that various health care facilities in a particular area use for specific imaging procedures -example...if patients in that location were receiving on average approximately the same entrance skin exposure (ESE) for a specific imaging procedure in every health care facility in that same area, then the ESE would represent the radiation exposure & consequent dose that is reasonably achieved within that specific location

Know the 3 basic principles of radiation protection?

-time -distance -shielding

that radiographers can improve understanding and reduce fear and anxiety for the patient

BERT (Background equivalent radiation time

-By using the knowledge of radiation induced hazards that has been gained over many years & by employing effective methods to limit or eliminate those hazards, humans can safely control the use of radiant energy -the radiation produced from x-ray tube

Controlled Radiant Energy

the degree to which the diagnostic study accurately reveals the presence or absence of disease in the patient

Diagnostic efficacy

When did radiation become apparent?

November 8, 1895

ALARA is synonymous with what other term

Optimization for Radiation Protection (ORP)

is simply defined as effective measures employed by radiation workers to safeguard patients, personnel, & the general public from unnecessary exposures to ionizing radiation

Radiation Protection

What has greatly reduced the risk from imaging procedures for patients and radiographers?

The understanding of radiation biologic effects gained throughout the twentieth century, coupled with better design of medical imaging equipment & improved radiation safety standards

This is any radiation exposure that does not benefit a person in terms of diagnostic information obtained for the clinical management of medical needs or any radiation exposure that doe not enhance the quality of the study

Unneccessary Exposure

What is BERT based on?

annual U.S. population exposures of approximately 3 mSv per year

ALARA is an acronym meaning?

as low as reasonably achievable

damage to living tissue of animals and humans exposed to radiation

biologic effects

When are patients more willing to accept the radiation risk?

if they perceive that the potential benefit to be obtained is greater than the risk involved

What is thought to cause injury to normal tissue?

ionizing radiation

What are x-rays a form of?

ionizing radiation charged

What happens to Ionizing radiation when it passes through matter?

ionizing radiation produces positively and negatively charged particles (ions)

How is keeping occupational and nonoccupational dose below maximum allowable levels best accomplished?

keeping patient medical radiation exposure at lowest level possible

What referring physicians must accept and carry responsibility for when ordering a radiographic procedure on a patient?

protecting the patient from nonuseful radiation exposure

ALARA should be established and maintained to show what

that we have considered reasonable actions that will reduce patient and personnel dose below required limits

Radiation Exposure should always be kept at?

the lowest possible level for the general public

What are safe dose levels for radiation-induced malignancy?

there are no safe dose level

there is a safe zone, but doesn't mean that something won't happen

threshold

What is the intention of ALARA?

to keep radiation exposure and consequent dose to lowest possible level