Background/introduction
The radiation exposure of an unborn child should be kept to a minimum. In emergencies, however, the patient’s life has a higher priority than the radiation protection of the unborn child.
Doctors find it difficult to answer complex and challenging questions from pregnant women who undergo radiological procedures, such as
•Is it possible that my child will be born healthy despite the radiation exposure?
•Can you guarantee that nothing will happen to my child?
We present a local recommendation for the radiological management of a...
Description of activity and work performed
The first step in keeping prenatal radiation exposure to a minimum is to identify pregnant women. The referring doctors and the radiologists should survey all women and girls of childbearing potential, whether they are pregnant or may be pregnant. The results of the survey should be documented (§12 of Austrian Medical Radiation Protection Regulation) [2].
All women and children of childbearing age (recommendation 11-55 years old) should be asked whether they are pregnant, if menstruation is overdue and if menstruation is not overdue, but pregnancy...
Conclusion and recommendations
After considering the effectiveness, the benefits, and the risks of the available alternative methods that carry no or less radiation exposure and strictly verifying the justification of an x-ray examination of a (probably) pregnant woman by clinicians and radiologists (double justification), the patient should be advised about the likely biological radiation effects to reduce anxiety. She should also be advised about the influence of iodine-based contrast media on the thyroid gland of the unborn child and the necessity for the child's postnatal thyroid function analysis....
Personal/organisational information
A. Hojreh; Vienna/AT - nothing to disclose M. Duenkelmeyer; Vienna/AT - nothing to disclose C. J. Herold; Vienna/AT - nothing to disclose H. Prosch; Vienna/AT - nothing to disclose
References
Hojreh A, Prosch H, Karanikas G, Homolka P, Trattnig S (2015) [Protection of the unborn child in diagnostic and interventional radiological procedures]. Radiologe 55:663-672
Bundesministerium für Gesundheit und Frauen (6. Februar 2018) Verordnung der Bundesministerin für Gesundheit und Frauen über Maßnahmen zum Schutz von Personen vor Schäden durch Anwendung ionisierender Strahlung im Bereich der Medizin (Medizinische Strahlenschutzverordnung – MedStrSchV). Bundeskanzleramt Österreich, http://www.ris.bka.gv.at
Dauer LT, Thornton RH, Miller DL et al (2012) Radiation management for interventions using fluoroscopic or computed tomographic guidance during pregnancy: a joint...