Dosage. Patients generally only get one x-ray every few years on average so being exposed is fine. The x-ray tech takes dozens every day so if they were exposed every time they would exceed safe dosage very quickly.
Also, they give you a lead garment to protect the areas that aren't being x-rayed. So the technicians are taking appropriate safety precautions for you as well as themselves.
Even without that precaution you get more radiation exposure from a long plane ride than from a single x-ray (less atmosphere above you = less shielding from cosmic radiation).
Employed X-ray tech here, this is mostly accurate, but most relevant academic bodies, in the US at least, actually recommend not shielding patients anymore, since it usually leads to slightly higher doses depending on the particular exam.
Collimation of the beam is sufficient to reduce dose with modern equipment.
That being said, when the patient is being X-rayed, such as in surgery, the primary source of radiation for everyone else is the patient. Since that cannot be collimated, lead aprons should be worn, and should be facing the source of radiation (i.e., don't turn your back when the beam is on, or wear a full wrap lead apron). Even that being said, the amount of radiation is low for almost everything except CT scans and IR (heart cath/embolization etc) cases.
Like I said, collimation is what’s key: if you don’t put other body parts into the beam there is no need to put lead on a patient. Lead garments don’t work for the patient. It only helps to protect others around them from radiation that’s scattered in the patient and coming out at different angles.
So next time they hand you one, ask them to properly collimate instead.
They aren't even in the same room. They have a special walled booth. They've given me a vest when having my arm up out on a table. Seems somebody needs better equipment or better training
Radiation exposure is cumulative. Whether one subscribes to the LNT or hormesis model (yes, I watch Kyle Hill), there is a huge difference between a single chest x-ray and exposure even to the scattered radiation dozens of times a day for months.
39 Comments
DaddleDew@lemmy.world · 90 pts · 48d
Dosage. Patients generally only get one x-ray every few years on average so being exposed is fine. The x-ray tech takes dozens every day so if they were exposed every time they would exceed safe dosage very quickly.
Rooskie91@discuss.online · 32 pts · 48d
Also, they give you a lead garment to protect the areas that aren't being x-rayed. So the technicians are taking appropriate safety precautions for you as well as themselves.
Even without that precaution you get more radiation exposure from a long plane ride than from a single x-ray (less atmosphere above you = less shielding from cosmic radiation).
krathalan@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 10 pts · 48d
Employed X-ray tech here, this is mostly accurate, but most relevant academic bodies, in the US at least, actually recommend not shielding patients anymore, since it usually leads to slightly higher doses depending on the particular exam.
Collimation of the beam is sufficient to reduce dose with modern equipment.
That being said, when the patient is being X-rayed, such as in surgery, the primary source of radiation for everyone else is the patient. Since that cannot be collimated, lead aprons should be worn, and should be facing the source of radiation (i.e., don't turn your back when the beam is on, or wear a full wrap lead apron). Even that being said, the amount of radiation is low for almost everything except CT scans and IR (heart cath/embolization etc) cases.
Photonic@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 48d
Lead garments are usually used to protect the doctors and technologists during fluoroscopy or x-ray guided therapy or surgery.
Collimation is what protects the areas that aren’t x-rayed in a patient.
BCsven@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 48d
They mean the lead garment the patient wears to avoid xrwy to vital areas
Photonic@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 48d
No, that’s what I said. They don’t
BCsven@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 48d
As a patient I have worn them, do they not have them where you go?
Photonic@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 48d
Like I said, collimation is what’s key: if you don’t put other body parts into the beam there is no need to put lead on a patient. Lead garments don’t work for the patient. It only helps to protect others around them from radiation that’s scattered in the patient and coming out at different angles.
So next time they hand you one, ask them to properly collimate instead.
BCsven@lemmy.ca · 0 pts · 48d
They aren't even in the same room. They have a special walled booth. They've given me a vest when having my arm up out on a table. Seems somebody needs better equipment or better training
hneerqe@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 48d
BCsven@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 48d
It depends on the xray and positions etc. I've had it with the lead apron and not
rtxn@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 48d
Radiation exposure is cumulative. Whether one subscribes to the LNT or hormesis model (yes, I watch Kyle Hill), there is a huge difference between a single chest x-ray and exposure even to the scattered radiation dozens of times a day for months.
db2@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 48d
You're smarter than this, come on. It's shitpost material.
thisisbutaname@discuss.tchncs.de · 10 pts · 48d
It was mildly funny the first time. The next few ones not so much but I still got it. Now it's not funny and a dead horse to boot
sudoMakeUser@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 47d
It's kinda funny to see all the people explaining the joke each time it's posted.
psx_crab@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 48d
The doc probably affraid of those Damage Over Time attack with status effect proc.
floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 48d
I like eating a spicy af burger every once in a while, but I wouldn't want to eat them 6 times a day
TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 48d
How dare you insult American culture on their day of independence.
flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 47d
Really? Fuck those cunts...
TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 47d
If Americans choose an early grave by eating 6 burgers a day, who are we to judge them?
iatenine@piefed.social · 5 pts · 48d
Don't be ridiculous. That's the technician. The doctor is kilometers away by the time the death ray fires up