How often are radiologists actually exposed to radiation

[junlujlu]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I was curious as to how often radiologists actually are exposed to radiation

 

[trouta]

Not too often. Most images are obtained by techs without the radiologist even in the room. The IR people are the ones working hands on with the radiation and have the most potential for exposure, but they take precautions to limit this (lead aprons, thyroid shields, gloves, leaded glasses etc.)

 

[hans19]

Not too often. Most images are obtained by techs without the radiologist even in the room. The IR people are the ones working hands on with the radiation and have the most potential for exposure, but they take precautions to limit this (lead aprons, thyroid shields, gloves, leaded glasses etc.)

IR docs get a lot of exposure, but as mentioned above, precautions are taken to minimize this.
Current models for radiation induced cancer are linear with respect to exposure. Overall the risk is still very low, but not zero.

Take into consideration: other docs like orthopods, cardiologist, and neurosurgeons also get a lot of radiation exposure in the OR. At least radiologists have the benefit of radiation physics and radiobiology training to help understand and minimize the risk of radiation exposure.

 

[deleted59964]

Take into consideration: other docs like orthopods, cardiologist, and neurosurgeons also get a lot of radiation exposure in the OR. .

and more needle sticks - name your poison

 

[Smoke This]

and more needle sticks - name your poison

Good point.

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

Non-interventional rads (which includes the vast majority of rads) have minimal radiation exposure. My doses (compiled over the year where I had a flouro GI month and an interventional month) were 1/50th the yearly limits set for radiation personnel.

 

[tigress]

This issue hadn't really occured to me. Do pregnant radiology residents have to take extra precautions? Is it even possible to be pregnant doing IR without risking too much?

 

[Apollyon]

Hand surgeons (whether ortho, plastics, or general sx residency trained before fellowship) spend a LOT of time under fluoro, and they're noted to have a much higher incidence of manual malignancies - it would be interesting to compare to IR.

Hans makes a great point about physics and radiobiology, though. The ortho residents using the C-arm are obviously discounting anything they ever learned in physics.

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

Hand surgeons (whether ortho, plastics, or general sx residency trained before fellowship) spend a LOT of time under fluoro, and they're noted to have a much higher incidence of manual malignancies - it would be interesting to compare to IR.

Hans makes a great point about physics and radiobiology, though. The ortho residents using the C-arm are obviously discounting anything they ever learned in physics.

Its not about discounting it, they never learn about radiation biology, radiation safety, how x-rays are formed, how to make images better or worse, etc.

 

[Apollyon]

Its not about discounting it, they never learn about radiation biology, radiation safety, how x-rays are formed, how to make images better or worse, etc.

I was referring to college physics (which allowed them to get into med school, which allowed them to bust their asses to get their ortho spots, to THEN discount anything they ever learned).

 

[f_w]

Hand surgeons (whether ortho, plastics, or general sx residency trained before fellowship) spend a LOT of time under fluoro, and they're noted to have a much higher incidence of manual malignancies - it would be interesting to compare to IR.

Hans makes a great point about physics and radiobiology, though. The ortho residents using the C-arm are obviously discounting anything they ever learned in physics.


Reminds me of a memorable incident when one of our ortho residents tried to convince me that a Xi-scan (mini C-arm), doesn't use 'real' x-rays (and that wearing lead would therefore be entirely unneccessary) 😉 .

 

[itchyscrot]

Hand surgeons (whether ortho, plastics, or general sx residency trained before fellowship) spend a LOT of time under fluoro, and they're noted to have a much higher incidence of manual malignancies - it would be interesting to compare to IR.

Hans makes a great point about physics and radiobiology, though. The ortho residents using the C-arm are obviously discounting anything they ever learned in physics.


Reminds me of a memorable incident when one of our ortho residents tried to convince me that a Xi-scan (mini C-arm), doesn't use 'real' x-rays (and that wearing lead would therefore be entirely unneccessary) 😉 .

First off ortho residents are *****s they should be working @ home depot. Anyway, as far as exposure to radiation you are going to be pretty safe as long as your NOT an interventionalist. I love VIR and NIR and I have done 6 months of VIR and 4 months of GI fluoro in a 4 year residency. I am also ANAL about exposure I am a total ALARA freak. I will stand behind anything with lead on it if I am in the room when we are doing a run, I will even step behind the f'ing attending. Yet some how EVERY time I finished a month of flouro or angio I got a letter from the radiation saftey office regarding my exposure. The amount of radiation a VIR, NIR, or Cardiologist gets is NOT insignificant. If you are pregnant or planning on it you should let your chiefs know so that they can schedule you so that you are not on VIR or GI during your pregnancy, the risk is just not worth it.

If you are not doing procedures you are not getting exposed. Anyway as far as I am concerned a little radiation might do me some good; a little hormesis may do the body right. Suck it!

 

[f_w]

First off ortho residents are *****s they should be working @ home depot.

The sad part is that these people had to be academically fairly accomplished to get into their residency. I actually have great respect for a good orthopod. It is just that they fall into this macho culture believing that workplace safety is for sissies.


I will stand behind anything with lead on it if I am in the room when we are doing a run, I will even step behind the f'ing attending. Yet some how EVERY time I finished a month of flouro or angio I got a letter from the radiation saftey office regarding my exposure.

And therein lies the problem: Standing in the room during a run. With power injectors, outside of NIR microcath cases, there should be rarely ever a reason to be in the room during a run.

The amount of radiation a VIR, NIR, or Cardiologist gets is NOT insignificant. If you are pregnant or planning on it you should let your chiefs know so that they can schedule you so that you are not on VIR or GI during your pregnancy, the risk is just not worth it.

While I don't believe that there is a measurable risk, I think it is a good idea not to schedule IR rotations during an early pregnancy (and no woman would want to stand in the cath lab all day during late pregnancy).

Anyway as far as I am concerned a little radiation might do me some good; a little hormesis may do the body right. Suck it!

So far there is no data to support a harmful effect of the low doses of radiation we are exposed to in rads. Depending on how you read the data on existing low-dose exposures, you can actually make a point for hormesis.