Ionizing Radiation Video Series
We discovered this video series and thought it might be of interest to this community. There is no CE credit for this series, but it is useful for reference.
Tag: radiation safety
Role of a Radiologic Technologist During Radiologic Crisis
As radiologic technologists, we are uniquely qualified to participate in the medical response to radiologic accidents and radiologic terrorist attacks. Should such incidents occur in our area, our colleagues and the public at large will have the expectation that we will know how to deal with radiation safely since we work with it every day. This article offers information to help you feel comfortable that you can safely help others during such a horrible crisis.
Radiography and Pregnancy
All radiographers learn in school why radiation is dangerous to a pregnant patient’s fetus, and that it’s very important to screen for pregnant patients allowing the physician to be informed that there is a risk.
Likewise, if you are working as a radiologic technologist, and you get pregnant, it is normal to have some concern about the harmful effects of radiation reaching your baby. Do X-ray techs need pregnancy precautions? Even though the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that a radiographer can continue to safely perform their job without risk to the fetus as long as policies and guidelines are followed, every radiographer should review what the potential effects are.
Orphaned Radiation Sources – Info for Radiologic Technologists
On December 2, 2013, a commercial truck containing a dismantled radiation treatment device was stolen in Mexico. The device contained a significant amount of the radioactive material Cobalt 60. A few days later, the device was recovered. At least 6 people were evaluated for radiation exposure, but it was reported that all tests were negative, indicating that the radioactive material was not released. It appears that a very dangerous radiation disaster was avoided.
When radiological disasters happen, the victims end up where radiologic technologists work, in the hospital. They may be contaminated with radioactive dust or shrapnel in their bodies and on their clothing. As a radiologic technologist, even though you mainly work with X-rays on a day-to-day basis, the other hospital staff and public will have a reasonable expectation that you will have a better understanding than most about how to deal with a radiation disaster safely.
Radiation Protection Agencies and Regulations
Radiation Protection Agencies and Regulations
In the US, each state has several organizations and multiple regulations pertaining to radiation safety and a department dedicated to enforcing those regulations. There are many more throughout the world including international organizations. To attempt to list all of the radiation agencies, policies, and laws in the US would fill volumes much larger then this book. Although the web of regulations is tangled, they are an important part of administrative controls.
10 Devices to detect and monitor radiation
Ionizing radiation can not be directly detected with the human senses. So we have developed many ways to detect it. Some devices work best for specific types of sources and purposes. Many dosimeters are now classified as self-reading and/or alarming devices. These instruments allow the user to select early warning and alarms for the amount of exposure that they receive and also to be warned of significantly higher than expected radiation levels. They also have digital read outs for instant access to the exposure monitoring data. These devices can also be linked electronically to a database or software program to maintain records and configure the devices.
Radiation detector PM1904 for iPhone. A new type of pocket dosimeter. When preset radiation thresholds are exceeded, device provides LED light alarm. All measurements are recorded in non-volatile memory. Courtesy Polimaster Inc.