Although childhood exposure to ionizing radiation is a well‐established risk factor for thyroid cancer, the risk associated with adulthood exposure remains unclear. We prospectively examined the ...association between cumulative, low‐to‐moderate dose occupational radiation exposure to the thyroid and thyroid cancer incidence in the U.S. Radiologic Technologists cohort. The study included 89,897 members who completed at least two of four mailed questionnaires and were cancer‐free at the time of the first questionnaire. Cumulative occupational thyroid radiation dose (mean = 57 mGy, range = 0–1,600 mGy) was estimated based on self‐reported work histories, historical data and, during the years 1960–1997, 783,000 individual film badge measurements. During follow‐up, we identified 476 thyroid cancer cases. We used Poisson regression to estimate excess relative risk of thyroid cancer per 100 milliGray (ERR/100 mGy) absorbed dose to the thyroid gland. After adjusting for attained age, sex, birth year, body mass index and pack‐years smoked, we found no association between thyroid dose and thyroid cancer risk (ERR/100 mGy = −0.05, 95% CI <–0.10, 0.34). In this large cohort study of radiologic technologists, protracted, low‐to‐moderate dose ionizing radiation exposure to the thyroid gland in adulthood was not associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer.
What's new?
Exposure to ionizing radiation is a known risk factor for thyroid cancer. Little is known, however, about the impact of low‐to‐moderate cumulative occupational radiation exposure on thyroid cancer risk. In the present evaluation, radiation doses to the thyroid were reconstructed based on badge dose readings and work history for U.S. radiologic technologists and on literature review. The results show no association between cumulative occupational radiation thyroid dose and thyroid cancer incidence after adjusting for multiple risk factors, including age, sex and body mass index. The findings help clarify the role of adulthood radiation exposure in thyroid cancer development.
To determine if there is a discrepancy between how orthopedic surgeons perceive the quality of plain radiographs compared with that of radiologic technologists.
A prospective survey was developed ...including 42 deidentified plain radiographs. Included radiographs were of varying anatomical regions, patient positioning, and radiographic parameters. Participants were requested to score each radiograph on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 100 (very good) based on their overall subjective definition of radiographic quality.
Multiple analyses of variance showed that out of the 42 radiographs evaluated, 13 images had significant differences in how they were scored by each group. Technologists provided lower image quality scores for 11 images compared with the orthopedic residents and attending surgeons. Two images were scored significantly higher by the attendings compared with the technologists or residents. Of the 42 images, 29 were scored similarly by the 3 groups.
This study is novel because it explored perceived radiograph quality between attending orthopedic surgeons, orthopedic surgery residents, and radiologic technologists. Review of current literature revealed comparisons of radiography quality assessments between radiologic technologists and radiologists. Like the findings of the authors of the current report, the literature analysis demonstrated that radiologic technologists and radiologists appear to agree on what was considered a quality image, but technologists were more reluctant to accept images of lower quality than were radiologists. These authors believe the present study helps further establish that orthopedic surgeons typically order repeat imaging for reasons other than image quality.
Orthopedic surgeons and radiologic technologists appear to agree in a subjective manner on a quantitative scale. Radiologic technologists tended to be more critical than were orthopedic surgeons in judging radiograph quality, contrary to the authors' original hypothesis.
Childhood exposure to acute, high-dose radiation has consistently been associated with risk of benign and malignant intracranial tumors of the brain and CNS, but data on risks of adulthood exposure ...to protracted, low-to-moderate doses of radiation are limited. In a large cohort of radiologic technologists, we quantified the association between protracted, low-to-moderate doses of radiation and malignant intracranial tumor mortality.
The study population included 83,655 female and 26,642 male U.S. radiologic technologists who were certified for at least 2 years as of 1982. The cohort was followed from the completion date of the first or second survey (1983-1989 or 1994-1998) to the date of death, loss to follow-up, or December 31, 2012, whichever was earliest. Occupational brain doses through 1997 were based on work history, historical data, and, for most years after the mid 1970s, individual film badge measurements. Radiation-related excess relative risks (ERRs) and 95% CIs were estimated from Poisson regression models adjusted for attained age and sex.
Cumulative mean absorbed brain dose was 12 mGy (range, 0-290 mGy). During follow-up (median, 26.7 years), 193 technologists died of a malignant intracranial neoplasm. Based on models incorporating a 5-year lagged cumulative brain dose, cumulative brain dose was not associated with malignant intracranial tumor mortality (overall ERR per 100 mGy, 0.1; 95% CI, < -0.3 to 1.5). No effect modification was observed by sex or birth cohort.
In this nationwide cohort of radiologic technologists, cumulative occupational radiation exposure to the brain was not associated with malignant intracranial tumor mortality.
Background
The outbreak of COVID‐19 brought high mortality rate from the viral infection and caused a huge psychological stress for healthcare staff who work under great pressure during the pandemic.
...Aims
The purpose of this study is to assess the level of stress‐induced cognition among radiologic technologists (RTs) in COVID‐19 quarantine centres in Palestine after the outbreak of COVID‐19.
Methods
Stress‐induced cognition was assessed using Stress‐induced Cognition Scale (SCS) questionnaire. The validity and stability of the measuring tool was verified. The sample consisted of 61 RTs who are working currently at various quarantine centres in Palestine.
Results
Cognition‐induced stress was higher than average. There was a statistically significant difference between RTs working directly with COVID‐19 patient compared with RTs working indirectly. Additionally, results show an increased level of stress for RTs having children compared with single or non‐parent RTs. Also, RTs who dealt with COVID‐19 patients for prolonged periods over a month had higher level of stress‐induced cognition. Other variables did not show significant differences among RTs.
Conclusion
It is recommended to provide psychological support for RTs who dealt and are currently involved in COVID‐19 quarantine centres to alleviate stress‐induced cognition.
Background
The knowledge, awareness and professionalism of health care providers in the field of child protection are crucial in identifying and reporting suspected child abuse. Radiologic ...technologists and radiologists play a vital role in the diagnosis of suspected physical child abuse.
Objective
To assess current practice, knowledge and awareness of child abuse among radiologic technologists and radiologists in Saudi Arabia.
Materials and methods
We distributed an internet-based questionnaire to radiologic technologists and radiologists working in Saudi Arabia via national radiology societies and social media channels over a 6-week period (27 October to 8 December 2021). Survey questions covered knowledge regarding child abuse, professional practice in radiology departments in Saudi Arabia in cases of suspected physical abuse (SPA), and knowledge of the national legislation and reporting and acting procedures in child abuse.
Results
A total of 315 respondents (224 radiologic technologists and 91 radiologists) participated in this study. The median score for knowledge of abuse was higher amongst radiologists (4.8) than radiologic technologists (4.0);
P
< 0.001. In total, 210 (93.8%) radiologic technologists and 61 (67.0%) radiologists reported that there was no protocol (i.e. skeletal survey) at their hospital for imaging children with SPA. Most radiologic technologists had no training in paediatric radiology (165/224, 73.7%) and most radiologists had received no training in evaluating imaging performed for SPA (73/91, 80.2%). More than half of respondents — 131 (58.5%) radiologic technologists and 44 (48.4%) radiologists — were not familiar with the reporting and acting procedures at their hospitals in cases of child abuse.
Conclusion
Although radiologic technologists and radiologists in Saudi Arabia have good knowledge and awareness of child abuse in general, they lack specific knowledge of the reporting and acting procedures at their hospitals in cases of suspected child abuse. National imaging guidelines and training courses are needed to develop appropriate skills in the recognition, imaging and reporting of SPA in infants and young children in Saudi Arabia.
To assess the patient gonadal shielding practices of radiologic technologists in the state of California.
A survey invitation was sent via email to registered radiologic technologists in California ...to collect data to determine whether there were significant associations between gonadal shielding practices and various categorical variables, including patient sex, patient age, body part, availability of gonadal shielding protocols, availability of gonadal shields, and supervisor encouragement.
There was a significant association between gonadal shielding protocol availability and supervisor encouragement of using gonadal shielding (
= .005) and between gonadal shielding availability and supervisor encouragement of using gonadal shielding (
< .001). Contrary to other studies in the literature, there was a significant difference between patient sex and the likelihood of gonadal shielding use, with participants indicating that they shield girls and women more often than they shield boys and men (P < .001).
There was a sex-based difference in the frequency of gonadal shielding usage among the sample in this study. Also, supervisors providing accessible protocols and encouraging gonadal shielding can increase technologists' use of gonadal shielding.
Gonadal shielding is the current Code of Federal Regulations standard, although most professional and scientific organizations support discontinuing shielding during abdominal and pelvic radiography examinations. Shielding of these areas is more likely to occur with the availability of gonadal shielding, supervisory encouragement, protocols mandating shielding, and state regulations.
Glaucomagenesis following ionizing radiation exposure Hamada, Nobuyuki; Azizova, Tamara V.; Little, Mark P.
Mutation research,
January-March 2019, 2019 Jan - Mar, 2019-01-00, 20190101, Letnik:
779
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Glaucoma is a group of optic neuropathies causing optic nerve damage and visual field defects, and is one of the leading causes of blindness. Nearly a century has passed since the first report of ...glaucoma manifested following ionizing radiation therapy of cancers. Nevertheless, associations between glaucoma and radiation exposures, a dose response relationship, and the mechanistic underpinnings remain incompletely understood. Here we review the current knowledge on manifestations and mechanisms of radiogenic glaucoma. There is some evidence that neovascular glaucoma is manifest relatively quickly, within a few years after high-dose and high dose-rate radiotherapeutic exposure, but little evidence of excess risks of glaucoma after exposure to much lower doses or dose rates. As such, glaucoma appears to have some of the characteristics of a tissue reaction effect, with a threshold of at least 5 Gy but possibly much higher.
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