Final exam

In the electromagnetic spectrum, higher frequencies are associated with

shorter wavelengths and higher energies

As a result of technologic advances since the 1970s and strict regulations imposed within the United States by the FDA regarding consumer products containing radioactive material, the radiation exposure of the general public from such produces may now be considered

negligible

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that action be taken to reduce elevated levels of radon in homes to a concentration less than

4 pCi/L.

A flight on a typical commercial airliner results in an equivalent dose rate of

0.005 to 0.01 mSv/hr.

Required by The Joint Commission for CT

1. Annual education of staff in dose reduction techniques 2. Minimum qualifications for medical physicists 3. Documentation of CT radiation doses 4. Management of CT protocols to minimize radiation dose

Image gently pledge

1. Make the image gently message a priority in staff communications each year. 2. Review the protocol recommendations and, when necessary, implement adjustments to practice processes. 3. Communicate openly with parents.

Forms of electromagnetic radiation

1. Microwaves 2. Visible light 3. X-rays 4. Gamma rays 5. Ultraviolet radiation

In a team approach to patient care, various participants

1. assume responsibility for their areas of expertise. 2. emphasize the importance of communication throughout the team

Effective protective measures to consider

1. both human and environmental physical determinants. 2. technical elements. 3. procedural factors.

Diagnostic efficacy includes

1. determining if an imaging procedure is justified. 2. obtaining images with minimal radiation exposure. 3. adhering to radiation safety guidelines. 4. revealing the presence or absence of disease in a patient.

millisievert (mSv)

1/1000 Sv

BERT

A method used to explain radiation to the public

Helps shield the global population from exposure to essentially all high-energy, bombarding cosmic rays

Atmosphere and magnetic field of the Earth

Does not imply radiation risk; it is simply a means for comparison. Emphasizes that radiation is an innate part of our environment. Provides an answer that is easy for the patient to comprehend.

BERT method advantages

1. creation of unstable atoms. 2. production of free electrons. 3. creation of highly reactive free radicals capable of producing substances poisonous to the cell. 4. creation of new biologic molecules detrimental to the living cell. 5. injury to the cell that may manifest itself as abnormal function or loss of function.

Consequences of ionization in human cells

is used to measure radiation exposure in the metric International System of Units

Coulomb/kilogram

If ionizing radiation from natural sources grows larger because of accidental or deliberate human actions such as mining radioactive elements, they are

Enhanced natural sources

Acute melting of a nuclear reactor core requires

Greater than 5000°F

Effective dose

Intended to be the best overall measure of the biologic effects of ionizing radiation.

A form of radiation that is capable of creating electrically charged particles by removing orbital electrons from the atom of normal matter through which it passes

Ionizing radiation

X-rays are a form of

Ionizing radiation

The most common unit of measure of equivalent dose

Millisievert (mSv)

Terrestrial radiation

Long-lived radioactive elements such as uranium-238, radium-226, and thorium-232 that are present in variable quantities in the crust of the earth

Another term for ALARA

ORP (Optimization for Radiation Protection)

Considered by the EPA to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US

Radon exposure

1. Crawl spaces under living areas 2. Floor drains and sump pumps 3. Porous cement block foundations

Routes through which radon can enter houses

When exposed to high radon levels in the home,

Smokers are most at risk of developing lung cancer.

Two forms of cosmic radiation

Solar and galactic

people are more willing to accept a risk if

They perceive that the potential benefit to be obtained is greater than the risk involved.

Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging

This organization was founded in 2007 that continues their pursuit to raise awareness of the need for dose reduction protocols by promoting pediatric-specified scan protocols to be used for both radiology and non-radiology users of CT

he cardinal principles of radiation protection

Time, distance, shielding

Radiation Safety Officer

is responsible for the execution, enforcement, and maintenance of the ALARA program

Is there a safe dose level exists for radiation-induced malignant disease

no

Diagnostic efficacy

provides the basis for determining whether an imaging procedure or practice is justified

The selection of technical exposure factors for all medical imaging procedures should always follow ALARA because

radiation-induced cancer does not appear to have a dose level below which individuals would have no chance of developing this disease.

The first decay product of radium

radon

The ALARA principle provides a method for comparing the amount of radiation used in various health care facilities in a particular area for specific imaging procedures. This information may be helpful to many

regulatory agencies

If a patient asks a radiographer a question about how much radiation he or she will receive from a specific x-ray procedure, the radiographer can

respond by using an estimation based on the comparison of radiation received from the x-ray to natural background radiation received.

Regarding exposure to ionizing radiation, patients who are educated to understand the medical benefit of an imaging procedure are more likely to

suppress any radiation phobia and be willing to assume a small chance of possible biologic damage.

A question concerning the amount of radiation a patient may receive during a specific x-ray procedure may be difficult to answer because the received dose is specified in a number of different units of measure, and also because the scientific units for radiation dose are normally not comprehensible by a patient.

the received dose is specified in a number of different units of measure, and also because the scientific units for radiation dose are normally not comprehensible by a patient.

Effective dose and equivalent dose

use the same unit of measure

Electromagnetic radiation travels or propagates through space in the form of a wave but can interact with matter as a particle of energy called a photon. This dual nature is referred to as

wave-particle duality