The New Jersey Bureau of Radiological Health has for several years tested the dose output of plain radiography equipment installed in the state. Using phantoms, the inspectors record exposure levels for PA chest, AP lumbar spine, and foot. Physicians who use the equipment include radiologists, podiatrists, chiropractors, and others. If any of their machines fall below the acceptable range, the bureau alerts them by letter and requires a response detailing the actions they will take.
The New Jersey Bureau of Radiological Health has for several years tested the dose output of plain radiography equipment installed in the state. Using phantoms, the inspectors record exposure levels for PA chest, AP lumbar spine, and foot. Physicians who use the equipment include radiologists, podiatrists, chiropractors, and others. If any of their machines fall below the acceptable range, the bureau alerts them by letter and requires a response detailing the actions they will take.
"The program works," said Dr. Julie K. Timins, chair of the New Jersey State Commission on Radiation Protection. "With education, a lot can be done to reduce dose. Ever since we began this program, we've seen very significant decreases in exposure across the board."
The facilities that register above the normal exposure levels are generally not run by radiologists, she said.
"Radiologists are knowledgeable and have the money to keep equipment up. The real improvement came with family practitioners, internists, chiropractors, and podiatrists. Their exposure levels improved significantly with our feedback," Timins said.
Seven Takeaways from Meta-Analysis of PSMA Radiotracers for Prostate Cancer Imaging
December 1st 2023In a newly published meta-analysis of 24 studies, researchers noted that the PSMA PET radiotracer 18F PSMA-1007 may provide more benefit than 68Ga Ga-PSMA-11 for primary staging of patients with prostate cancer and detection of local lesion recurrence, but also has drawbacks with higher liver uptake and multiple reports of false positive bone lesions.
Study: Regular Mammography Screening Reduces Breast Cancer Mortality Risk by More than 70 Percent
November 30th 2023Consistent adherence to the five most recent mammography screenings prior to a breast cancer diagnosis reduced breast cancer death risk by 72 percent in comparison to women who did not have the mammography screening, according to new research findings presented at the annual Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference.
Chest CT Study Shows Higher Emphysema Risk from Combination of Marijuana and Cigarette Smoking
November 28th 2023People who smoke marijuana and cigarettes have 12 times the risk for centrilobular emphysema than non-smokers, according to new computed tomography (CT) research presented at the annual Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference.