Continued Exposure to Radiation

TERRY D. VINCENT
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO
HCIN 552: ELECTRONIC RECORD SYSTEMS
 Continued Exposure to Radiation

 What is Ionizing Radiation? In healthcare we use Ionizing Radiation to take images of the human
body to help diagnose medical conditions that can’t be seen or diagnosed by laboratory exams.
 Man Made Sources: CT Scan, X-rays, Mammogram, Dexa Scan, Dental, Cell
phones, Microwave ovens, GPS Systems……
 Natural Sources: Rocks and soil, food we eat, our own bodies, trees, cosmic rays
 Benefits of Radiation:
1. Early detection of cancers/tumors
2. Life saving procedures that detect emergent conditions such as Strokes, Clots, cardiac
issues……
3. Used to kill cancerous cells in cancer treatments
 Continued Exposure to Radiation

 What are the risk of utilizing Ionized Radiation?

- The International Radiation Protection community states that any increase in
radiation exposure proportionately increases the risk of developing cancer (Buertt et al.,
2016).
- Which leads to DNA mutation and radiation induced cancer.
 Daily Dosage from just normal living is < 5mSv per day and < 100mSv per year
Medical Device Body Part Examined Dosage (mSv)
Computed Tomography (CT) Abd/Head/Chest/CNS 0.1 – 20mSv

X-rays Spine/Extremities 0.001 – 1.5mSv

CT Coronary/Angiography(CTA) Cardiac/chest 3 – 12mSv

Bone Densitometry (DEXA Scan) Bone 0.001mSv

Positron Emission Tomography(PET/CT) - 25mSv

 Continued Exposure to Radiation

This Photo by Unknown Author is

licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

• Why is this important?: The goal of all medical professionals is to do no harm or as little as possible.
This includes when taking radiographic images of patients.

• This is done by applying Time, Distance, Shielding and ALARA(As Low As Reasonably Achievable)
- Time = minimize time Distance = Maximize Distance Shielding = Use the appropriate PPE
- ALARA = utilizing the lowest dosage/rate of radiation to obtain the best image
 Continued Exposure to Radiation

COMPUTER DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM RULE

Problem: Any patient receiving any type of radiographic studies; the patient’s total millisievert dosage
for the last 12 months should be less than 100mSv per year. (This is based on only the number of
radiographic studies that the patient has had in that facility).
How is it calculated: The Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) calculates the amount
of mSv it uses for each image that it takes. And that data is archiving in the electronic health record
(EHR) under Radiological exams: which includes interpretation, mSv dosage/rate, and the image.
**The cumulative millisieverts will be displayed upon order entry for any radiographic study that emits
ionizing radiation.
 Computer Decision Support System Rule

Order ALERT!! mSV

Previous No Continue Process
Entry X-ray/No X-ray
> 100
in12
months with order End

PACS
Calculates Yes
total mSv in
last 12 months

Does the No
patient
really
need the
study?

Yes
 References

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