Radiation Biology Chapter 12

Body language

nonverbal messages, that if understood as intended will promote effective communication between the radiographer and the patient

Holistic patient care

considering for treatment the whole person rather than just the area of interest (physical emotional, mental health)

Air gap technique

Alternative procedure to the use in place of a radiographic grid for reducing scattered radiation during specific examinations

Flat contact shields 

can be used to protect the reproductive organs when they are not to be included in the area of interest 

Referring physician

individual responsible for ordering a radiologic examination

American association of physicists in medicine (AAPM)

Organization that issued a position statement in April 2019 indicating that patient gonadal shielding and fetal shielding during diagnostic imaging procedures should be discontinued as routine practice

Nonessential radiologic examinations

radiographic examinations performed in the absence of definite medical indications 

Epidermis

primary function is to protect underlying tissues and structures

DEXA, or DXA scan

test to determine the degree of bone loss by measuring bone mineral density

CARES committee 

group formed by the American association of physicists in medicine (AAPM) whose purpose is for all stakeholders to educate the profession regarding the AAPM gonadal shielding positioning statement  

Bone marrow

of great importance because it contains large numbers of stem, or precursor, blood cells that could be either depleted or, worse, even eliminated by substantial exposure to ionizing radiation

Possibility of pregnancy

something that a radiographer should ask a female patient of childbearing age about before the patient undergoes an x ray examination

Gonadal dose 

radiation exposure received by the male and female reproductive organs

Effective communication

an interaction that produces a satisfying result through an exchange of information

Spatial resolution

the recorded detail in the radiographic image

Quality control program 

Standardization in the processing of digital images, which includes regular monitoring and maintenance of all processing and image display equipment in a facility 

Quantum noise, or mottle 

a blotchy radiographic image that results when an insufficient quantum of x ray photons reaches the IR

Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs)

sensing devices most often used to determine skin dose directly

ESE

may be converted to patient dose by well documented multiplication factors

Image wisely 

campaign that promotes lowering the amount of radiation used in medically necessary imaging procedures and eliminating unnecessary procedure in adult medical imaging  

GSD

the equivalent dose to the reproductive organs that, if received by every human in a large population group, would be expected to bring about an identical gross genetic injury to the total population, as does the sum of the actual dose received by exposed individual members of the population

Elective x ray examination

nonurgent x ray procedures that can be booked at an appropriate time to meet the patient needs and safety

Image gently

a campaign to change long established practice by raising awareness about methods for lowering radiation dose during pediatric medical imaging examinations 

Entrance exposure rate

obtained from ionization chamber measurements with the chamber situated just beneath a patient phantom slightly offset from the tabletop as part of routine medical physicist equipment surveys

FGP

the unethical practice of using fluoroscopy to determine the exact location of the central ray before takin fa radiographic exposure