Keywords:
Workforce, Quality assurance, Education and training, Safety, Radiation safety, Education, Ultrasound, Nuclear medicine conventional, CT, Radioprotection / Radiation dose
Authors:
Y. Al-Obudi, R. S. Malliwal; London/UK
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-0724
Aims and objectives
Radiological investigations have become an essential part of clinical medicine,
resulting in a substantial increase in the use of modalities that utilise ionising radiation.
In 2017,
4.6 million CT scans were performed in England; an increase of 3 million compared to 1996 [1].
Exposure to ionising radiation,
especially cumulatively,
is associated with an increased lifetime risk of developing cancer [2].
This can be explained by the stochastic effect,
in which the probability of developing cancer is proportional to the dose of ionising radiation.
However,
the severity of harm is independent of the radiation dose,
unlike deterministic effects which occur at a set threshold of radiation [3].
Hence,
with increased use of medical imaging,
it has become imperative for referrers to be aware of the potential harms associated with ionising radiation.
This is especially important amongst junior doctors who are heavily involved in requesting scans on a daily basis and therefore relevant knowledge is required to maintain patient safety and avoid unnecessary patient exposure to ionising radiation.
Moreover,
it is crucial for referrers to establish the pregnancy status of patients prior to requesting investigative modalities that utilise ionising radiation due to the teratogenic effects of ionising radiation on the developing foetus,
particularly during the first trimester [4-5].
The aim of this study is to assess the level of radiation awareness amongst junior doctors and to evaluate whether doctors inquire about pregnancy prior to requesting a radiological investigation.
Based on our findings we have made several recommendations to improve the degree of radiation awareness and pregnancy inquiry prior to requesting radiological investigations amongst doctors.