Strange question: radiation exposure

[Slack3r]

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What's the radiation exposure like in ortho? I imagine you're doig a lot of fluoro in spine cases, and trauma too? What about in sports/joints/hand?

I understand you wear lead, but I've come across a few studies citing an increased incidence of cancer amongst orthopods. Any thoughts on this? Does it ever cross anyone's mind? Does it make me a weenie for being hesitant about long term exposure under the beam? (yes probably)

 

[joker2400]

What's the radiation exposure like in ortho? I imagine you're doig a lot of fluoro in spine cases, and trauma too? What about in sports/joints/hand?

I understand you wear lead, but I've come across a few studies citing an increased incidence of cancer amongst orthopods. Any thoughts on this? Does it ever cross anyone's mind? Does it make me a weenie for being hesitant about long term exposure under the beam? (yes probably)

Shadowed a F/A guy who used fluoro on most of his cases. I can't comment on the others. Have you read this?

 

[massmocha]

Definitely a lot of radiation exposure. Most places will require you to wear lead and a radiation monitoring badge to keep track. Lots of residents I worked with had the lead radiation safety glasses to protect their eyes.

 

[bleeker10]

Not sure you can say "most places require" in regards to radiation monitoring badges. Between rotations as a med stud and now as a resident, none of the 5 residency programs I've seen required them to wear a radiation monitoring badge.

The only fluoro we use in joints is for total hips. After we place our trials, we get a PA pelvis to check for length. We get postop portable films in the PACU but the radiology tech does that.

You will use fluoro in hand quite a bit when doing things like PRC, 4CF, fracture cases, trapeziectomy, arthrodesis, etc.

Sports: We use mini c-arm in ACL cases to confirm seating of the femoral endobutton on the femoral cortex. Also the big c-arm is used in hip scopes, both to confirm placement of portal placement and when doing the femoral neck osteoplasty.

I use the mini c in my cast/fracture clinic quite a bit. I use it on 3-5 patients on average per clinic. Usually its for hand stuff

 

[massmocha]

I guess it depends on the school, mine requires rads badges for residents and students. Usually lots of fluoro on trauma in my experience