Category: Rad Tech Talk

Radiologic Technologist Blog

Keeping Bones Strong and Healthy in Children and Adolescents

keeping bones strong and healthy in children

In this article we give a brief overview of some of the factors that affect bone health in children and adolescents. The period of life from birth to adolescence is vital in terms of building a healthy skeleton. It is also important in terms of developing habits that aid in keeping bones strong and healthy. These habits can help maintain robust bone health through the individual’s adult and older years.

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Good Nutrition for Healthy Bones in Adults

good nutrition for healthy bones

A diet that is considered appropriate for optimal bone health is also recommended for overall good health and the prevention of chronic diseases. Thus, healthcare providers have an opportunity, at every patient encounter, to provide counseling with regards to good nutrition for healthy bones. This nutritional counseling is vital to prevent many common “lifestyle” diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Therefore, healthcare professionals should not miss this excellent opportunity to reinforce the importance of a healthy balanced diet in terms of both overall health and bone health.

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Communicating Radiation Risk to Patients

communicating radiation risk

Radiologic technologists play an important role in communicating radiation risk to patients. To this end, they must establish a rapport with the patient. One of the major challenges of risk communication is the difference in risk perception by healthcare professionals and the general public. To effectively communicate the risks and benefits of radiation exposure, radiographers need to understand this difference themselves. It is also important to remember that the general public may have obtained information from non-technical sources such as newspapers, magazines, TV shows, and Internet sites. Moreover, the layperson is prone to give equal importance to information from unverified sources and scientific bodies.

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Advantages of DXA Scan and Best BMD Testing Technology

BMD testing guidelines

The importance of DXA is underscored by the fact that BMD is a strong independent predictor of an individual’s risk of sustaining fragility fractures. A clear relationship has been established in postmenopausal females between BMD results and the risk of osteoporotic fractures. For every standard deviation drop in DXA-calculated bone density (equivalent to a 10-12 percent bone loss in the spine), the individual’s fracture risk increases by up to 2.5 times. What are the advantages of DXA scan and how does it compare to other modalities used to measure bone density?

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Healthcare Worker Classification and Areas of Work

healthcare worker classification

For the purpose of radiation safety, healthcare worker classification is divided into two categories – those who directly work with radiation and those who do not directly work with radiation but may be exposed to it. Occupational dose limits apply to workers who directly perform radiation work. Hospital employees who do not directly perform radiation work are treated like members of the general public in terms of restricting exposure.

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