nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Warning to patients on medical radiation

 exposure to radiation from a single diagnostic medical procedure is thought to produce little or no risk to the patient.

However, repeated exposure to ionizing radiation is becoming more common, particularly in acute medical settings such as hospitals

Health-care radiation: How big a problem? The Durango Herald, Dr. Matthew A. Clark, 24 May 11, With advancing medical technologies, health-care decisions are becoming more and more confusing for the general public. Patients need to take a proactive role in informing themselves about their health care……the effect of radiation exposure from diagnostic medical procedures on long-term health. With the increase in use of these procedures, including CAT scan and fluoroscopy, there has been a significant increase in exposure of Americans to ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is the kind of radiation that can damage the body’s cells….

ionizing radiation exposure from medical imaging now accounts for nearly one-half of all radiation exposure in the country each year….

 exposure to radiation from a single diagnostic medical procedure is thought to produce little or no risk to the patient.

However, repeated exposure to ionizing radiation is becoming more common, particularly in acute medical settings such as hospitals. In one large inner-city hospital, the rate of CAT scans nearly doubled during a decade. A single CAT scan produces the average radiation equivalent of about 200 chest X-rays.

Ionizing radiation to certain highly active tissues in the body, such as the thyroid gland, has the potential to damage either the genetic material in cells or the defense mechanisms cells have in place to repair cell damage. There is a known risk of certain types of cancer related to radiation exposure. …..I would encourage patients to take a more active role in their health-care decision-making. Patients should routinely discuss the potential risks and benefits of any medical procedure with their physician and make informed decisions about what is best for them…http://durangoherald.com/article/20110523/COLUMNISTS16/705239999/-1/s

May 24, 2011 - Posted by | general

No comments yet.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

« Previous | Next »