• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.189-193
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• 2011

Sitting position upper extremity X-ray examinations (SUEX) is the most widely used patient positioning method for upper extremity X-ray examinations. For this method, the radiation dose is considerable for relatively less interesting organs. We investigated whether patients need to wear the apron during the examination or not. We also studied the examination methods which can reduce the radiation dose. The results showed that radiation dose was reduced as the distance of source to patient becomes longer and the thickness of object grows higher.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.75-88
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• 2019

Diagnostic reference level (DRL) is employed to optimize the radiation doses of patients. The objective of this study is to review the DRLs for interventional procedures in Korea and abroad. Literature review was performed to investigate radiation dose index and measurement methodology commonly used in DRL determination. Dose area product (DAP) and fluoroscopy time within each major procedure category were systematically abstracted and analyzed. A wide variation was found in the radiation dose. The DAP values and fluoroscopy times ranged 0.01-3,081 Gy·㎠ and 2-16,878 seconds for all the interventional procedures, 8.5-1,679 Gy·㎠ and 32-5,775 seconds for the transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), and 0.1-686 Gy·㎠ and 16-6,636 seconds for the transfemoral cerebral angiography (TFCA), respectively. The DRL values of the DAP and fluoroscopy time were 238 Gy·㎠ and 1,224 seconds for the TACE and 189 Gy·㎠ and 686 seconds for the TFCA, respectively. Generally, the DRLs of Korea were lower than those of other developed countries, except for the percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stent in arteries of the lower extremity (LE PTA and stent), aneurysm coil embolization, and Hickman insertion procedures. The wide variation in the radiation doses of the different procedures suggests that more attention must be paid to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from medical imaging. Furthermore, periodic nationwide survey of medical radiation exposures is necessary to optimize the patient dose for radiation protection, which will ultimately contribute to patient dose reduction and radiological safety.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.129-139
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• 2022

C-arm fluoroscopy is a useful tool for interventional pain management. However, with the increasing use of C-arm fluoroscopy, the risk of accumulated radiation exposure is a significant concern for pain physicians. Therefore, efforts are needed to reduce radiation exposure. There are three types of radiation exposure sources: (1) the primary X-ray beam, (2) scattered radiation, and (3) leakage from the X-ray tube. The major radiation exposure risk for most medical staff members is scattered radiation, the amount of which is affected by many factors. Pain physicians can reduce their radiation exposure by use of several effective methods, which utilize the following main principles: reducing the exposure time, increasing the distance from the radiation source, and radiation shielding. Some methods reduce not only the pain physician's but also the patient's radiation exposure. Taking images with collimation and minimal use of magnification are ways to reduce the intensity of the primary X-ray beam and the amount of scattered radiation. It is also important to carefully select the C-arm fluoroscopy mode, such as pulsed mode or low-dose mode, for ensuring the physician's and patient's radiation safety. Pain physicians should practice these principles and also be aware of the annual permissible radiation dose as well as checking their radiation exposure. This article aimed to review the literature on radiation safety in relation to C-arm fluoroscopy and provide recommendations to pain physicians during C-arm fluoroscopy-guided interventional pain management.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.193-198
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• 2015

This study analyzed the total number of 19,636 patients and radiation technologists, 11,433 of male and 8,203 of female by examined body parts, age, types of detectors, the using contrast enhancement and working condition of the technologists, regular staffs or rotation-duty staffs, based on the K-DOS program distributed by FDA with the DLP value of diagnostic evaluation. The result shows that the effective radiation dose was 0.7mSv~41.7mSv for each region and male patients had more radiation exposure than females. And the amount of exposure was also affected by the types and the method of detectors. Furthermore, the regular staffs took the role of helping the patient to get reduced amount of radiation exposure than rotation duty-staffs. Computed tomography (CT) use has increased dramatically over the past several decades. In this reason, to support the patients and the workers' health in the field, the hospitals should apply specialized regular working radiation technologist system and manufacturing companies of those CTs should develop low medical radiation exposure devices.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.55-60
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to examine both patient exposure dose during mammography and the utility status of mammograpy equipments. The data of this study were collected through questionnaire survey for 278 medical facilities registered at Korean Hospital Association and finally 161 medical facilities's data were analyzed. According to data analysis, medical facilities of 14.9% used the average glandular dose of less than 0.5 mGy, $0.51{\sim}1.0\;mGy$ 8.6%, $1.01{\sim}1.5\;mGy$ 14.9%, $1.51{\sim}2.0\;mGy$ 11.1%, $2.01{\sim}2.5\;mGy$ 9.8%, $2.51{\sim}3.0\;mGy$ 33.3%, and 7.4% more than 3.01 mGy. It was found that medical facilities of 92.6% used less than 3 mGy, showing that this figure is similar to the limit value of 3 mGy recommended by Korea Food & Drug Administration(KFDA). Recently, international organizations such as ICRP associated with radiation protection suggests that less than 3 mGy of average mammary gland dose be used during mammography in case of using Mo target+Mo filter, film/screen system and craniocaudal projection with the breast pressed to 4.2 cm. The standard dose is being strictly observed and that of the limits is going down to 2 mGy or 1.5 mGy. The major results of this study indicate that interests and a counterplan to reduce patient dose during mammography should be considered. Based on this study, the authors of this study will continue to measure exposure dose to set a new standard for patient exposure dose during mammography.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.903-909
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the effect of changes in the patient's central position on the exposure dose and image quality of surrounding organs during a chest lateral examination using an Auto Exposure Control(AEC). The experiment was conducted on a human body phantom. A needle was attached to the lower part of the center of the coronal plane of the phantom, and a lead ruler was attached to the lower part of the detector so that the 50 cm point was located at the lower center of the AEC ion chamber. The exposure conditions were 125 kVp, 320 mA, the distance between the source and the image receptor was 180 cm, and the exposure field size was 14 × 17 inches. Only one AEC ion chamber was used at the bottom center, and the density was set to '0' and sensitivity to 'Middle', and the central X-ray was incident vertically toward the 6th thoracic vertebra. With AEC mode applied, the 50 cm point of the needle and lead ruler were aligned and the phantom was moved 5 cm toward the stomach (F5) and 5 cm toward the back (B5), and the dose factor was analyzed by measuring ESD. The ESD of the thyroid gland according to the change in patient center position was 232.60±2.20 μGy for Center, 231.22±1.53 μGy for F5, and 184.37±1.19 μGy for B5, and the ESD of the breast was 288.54±3.03 μGy for Center, F5 was 260.97±1.93 μGy, B5 was 229.80±1.62 μGy, and the ESD of the center of the lung was 337.02±3.25 μGy for Center, F5 was 336.09±2.29 μGy, and B5 was 261.76±1.68 μGy. As a result of comparing the average values of dose factors between each group, the difference in average values was statistically significant (p<0.01), and each group appeared to be independent. As a result of the study, there was no significant difference in the dose to the thyroid, breast, and center of the lung according to the change in the patient's central position, except for the breast (10%) when the patient moved forward about 5 cm. However, movement of about 5 cm posteriorly resulted in an average dose reduction of 23.7%. Additionally, when the patient's central position was moved to the rear, image quality deteriorated.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.103-107
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• 2012

This paper analyzes changes in the external radiation dose rate of PET-CT test patients as a part of providing basic materials for reduction of radiation exposure to PET-CT test patients. In theory the measurement of external radiation dose rate of PET-CT test patients shows that the further the distance from the patient injected with radioactive pharmaceutical and a longer time elapsement from the injection leads to a smaller amount of radiation. Particularly, the amount of radiation marked the highest in the chest was at 4.17 minutes immediately after the intravenous injection and in the head after 77.47 minutes after urination in advance to the PET-CT test. As in the generalized information, it is desired to keep distance between the patient and caretakers or professionals to reduce the amount of radiation exposure from PET-CT test patients and to resume contact the patient after the time when the radiation has reduced. If contact is unavoidable, it is desired to keep at least 200cm from the patient. In addition, the amount of radiation reached the highest in the chest at first and then in the head from 77 minutes after injection. Accordingly, it would be helpful in achieving the optimization if contact is made based on the patient's physical characteristics. This study is significant as it measures changes in radiation the dose rate by; distance from the PET-CT test patient, time elapsed, and specific parts of body. Further studies based on the findings in this paper are required to analyze changes in radiation dose rate in accordance with individual characteristics unique to PET-CT patients and to utilize the results to reduce the amount of radiation patient, caretakers and professions are exposed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2021

In order to reduce the irresistible radiation exposure of patients who perform periodic examinations using a CT among various scan parameters a method to reduce patient dose was investigated through changes in the tube voltage close to X-ray penetrating power. As a result of the experiment 100 kVp was applied instead of 120 kVp which is commonly used in clinical practice and CTDI decreased by about 41% during scan. In addition the degree of change in image quality was measured as 1046.1±3.7 HU for CT value and 71.4±7.9 for Pixel value and statistical analysis showed no significant difference (0.05

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.9 no.12
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• pp.385-390
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• 2009

The Pneumatic Reduction and VCUG (Voiding Cystourethrography) are commonly used in the paediatric age group. The procedures had a particularly long fluroscopic screening time, despite a successful outcome for paediatric patients. Pneumatic Reduction and VCUG almost invariably requires fluoroscopic guidance which does confer a radiation dose. This article contains suggestions on how the radiation dose to paediatric patients from Pneumatic Reduction and VCUG can be made "as low as reasonably achievable" (ALARA). The aim of our study was eliminated in spot image applying the FluoroGrab, which has function of capturing an image of interest area from the picturing while fluoroscopic procedures. FluoroGrab has clinical value equivalent to the spot image, and is applied to the most recent fluoroscopic procedures. The radiologist and the radiographers should consider new option for decreasing the radiation exposure delivered to paediatric patients by making equipment modifications to the fluoroscopy to optimize radiation exposure reduction techniques. Thus, we propose the FluoroGrab instead of spot exposure for the reduction of patient exposure dose in paediatric, and try to confirm the effect of the mitigating amount of radiation exposure to paediatric patients when pneumatic reduction and VCUG. Fluorograb is the safe and useful method that shows the equivalent level of accuracy to spot exposure, and to minimize the radiation load to paediatric patients are to be the substitute for the spot exposure for Pneumatic Reduction and VCUG.

• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.1167-1172
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• 2009

The Pneumatic Reduction and VCUG (Voiding Cystourethrography) are commonly used in the paediatric age group. The procedures had a particularly long fluroscopic screening time, despite a successful outcome for paediatric patients. Pneumatic Reduction and VCUG almost invariably requires fluoroscopic guidance which does confer a radiation dose. This article contains suggestions on how the radiation dose to paediatric patients from Pneumatic Reduction and VCUG can be made "as low as reasonably achievable" (ALARA). The aim of our study was eliminated in spot image applying the FluoroGrab, which has function of capturing an image of interest area from the picturing while fluoroscopic procedures. FluoroGrab has clinical value equivalent to the spot image, and is applied to the most recent fluoroscopic procedures. The radiologist and the radiographers should consider new option for decreasing the radiation exposure delivered to paediatric patients by making equipment modifications to the fluoroscopy to optimize radiation exposure reduction techniques. Thus, we propose the FluoroGrab instead of spot exposure for the reduction of patient exposure dose in paediatric, and try to confirm the effect of the mitigating amount of radiation exposure to paediatric patients when pneumatic reduction and VCUG. Fluorograb is the safe and useful method that shows the equivalent level of accuracy to spot exposure, and to minimize the radiation load to paediatric patients are to be the substitute for the spot exposure for Pneumatic Reduction and VCUG.