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Category: Rad Tech Talk

Radiologic Technologist Blog

Stepping Lightly – Best Practices for Interventional Radiography

By: CE4RT

The step lightly campaign is an offshoot of the image gently campaign. Where image gently focused primarily on radiation protection for pediatric CT and later general pediatric radiography, step lightly focuses on pediatric interventional radiology. However the same principles apply for adult procedures. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) has published a checklist of best practices for practitioners to follow during interventional procedures.

Step Lightly Checklist
Review steps below before starting the procedure.

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An X-Ray Tech’s Guide to Radiography in Obese Patients

Chest X-ray obtained in an obese patient

By: CE4RT

Obese patients are at risk for increased radiation exposure due to the increase in radiation needed to penetrate tissue, the risk for repeat exams due to difficult positioning and technique, an incompatibility with existing equipment, and because obese patients suffer from health conditions which require radiologic procedures more than the average public.

 

 

A 57 year old man who weighed 490 lb (223 kg). Chest radiograph shows limited diagnostic quality image with poor X-ray penetration and poor visualization of lung bases.

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Radiography Shielding Tips

Male and female X-ray shields for the pelvis

Inadiquate patient shielding during radiography can contribute to increased patient dose. For radiologic technologists, shielding is particularly important to protect anatomic areas of the patient near the exposure field, but should not interfere with obtaining diagnostic information.

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