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Radiation risks of nuclear medicine need more oversight

CT scans of the abdomen use an amount of radiation equivalent to getting 1,500 dental X-rays, she said. CT scans of the heart and brain can use even more. The increased number of CT tests and increased amount of radiation used has boosted the amount of radiation exposure experienced by the general population…….

More oversight urged for X-ray technicians, Rapid City Journal, by Lynn Taylor Rick, October 18, 2010 “…………South Dakota is one of seven states in the nation that doesn’t require specific credentials for medical imaging operators, Davis said.Of the states that do license technologists, the level of training varies from just 12 hours of operator training to a two-year program, according to a new report from the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University School of Communication.Such fragmented licensing and training has sparked a nationwide debate about the safety and quality of medical imaging in the United States.

After several cases of radiation overexposure were reported in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a medical radiation protection bill.

In early 2010, a radiologist from California testified in Washington about the necessity of fixing the current system on a federal level. She specifically addressed the use of CT scans, one of the most common imaging tests done in the United States. Every year, one in five individuals in the U.S. undergoes a CT, she said.

While extremely useful in diagnosing medical conditions, CT scans of the abdomen use an amount of radiation equivalent to getting 1,500 dental X-rays, she said. CT scans of the heart and brain can use even more. The increased number of CT tests and increased amount of radiation used has boosted the amount of radiation exposure experienced by the general population…….

More oversight urged for X-ray technicians

October 18, 2010 - Posted by Christina MacPherson | health, USA | antinuclear, cancer, nuclear, nuclear costs, radiation, radioactive