Medical radiation may possibly lead to the development of future malignancy 15–20 years down the road. Therefore, it is incumbent on the radiologic community to ensure that the patient’s lifetime exposure to medical radiation is kept as low as reasonably possible while still detecting disease as early as possible.
Dosing and Shielding
- Individual dose customization ensures that no patient receives too much radiation
- Dedicated pediatric protocols are also in place to ensure that we image children “gently”
- Shielding of organs to minimize radioactive exposure
Quality Monitoring/Metric/Improvement
- Randomly and retrospectively monitor CT studies on a quarterly basis to ensure that the CT dose index (the amount of radiation administered during a study) remains within the accepted guideline of the American College of Radiology
- Pulse fluoroscopy is also used. This technology delivers an intermittent beam rather than a continuous beam to help decrease radiation
- Fluoroscopy times are also recorded for retrospective analysis
We enjoy working with our referring clinicians to choose the correct imaging modality for their patients. If there is another study that does not use ionizing radiation while providing equal or better diagnostic information, we actively encourage the alternative exam. All of our radiologists are happy to talk with our referring clinicians about what would be the best test for their patients. We are always available 24 hours a day to review or discuss cases, so please feel free to contact us at any time.
In the end, we are all responsible for the amount of medical radiation our patients receive. We at Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg will continue to use the newest technology and imaging techniques to ensure that the patients in our community are imaged as safely as possible.
We want to assure the medical community that Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg has always strived to provide the highest-quality images while keeping patient radiation exposure as low as possible.
