Radiation Dose Management of Pregnant Patients, Pregnant Staff and Paediatric Patients

Diagnostic and interventional radiology

Contributions by Dr Antonios Papadakis, Dr Kostas Perisinakis, Dr John Stratakis, Dr Virginia Tsapaki Edited by John Damilakis

Publication date:

06 December 2019

Length of book:

227 pages

Publisher

Institute Of Physics Publishing

Dimensions:

254x178mm
7x10"

ISBN-13: 9780750313186

X-ray diagnostic or interventional examinations are needed during pregnancy to provide information for significant medical problems and emergency situations. When this occurs, it is important to follow the right steps to minimize conceptus radiation dose. Occasionally, pregnant patients are also exposed accidentally to X-rays. These patients need different dose management in comparison with those exposed intentionally. Furthermore, proper dose management is needed for pregnant staff working with X-rays. Additionally, the dose management of paediatric patients undergoing radiology procedures requires special attention because children are especially vulnerable to X-rays. They have longer life expectancy to develop radiogenic health effects and they receive a higher radiation dose than necessary if the acquisition protocol is not adjusted to their small body size.

This book reflects the broad advances that have been made in the field of medical dosimetry and medical radiation protection, and it provides information about the practical use of new information in radiation dose management of pregnant patients, pregnant staff and paediatric patients in diagnostic and interventional radiology. It is suitable for students, lecturers, researchers and practitioners interested in the fields of medical dosimetry, medical radiation protection and diagnostic and interventional radiology.

1 Dosimetry

2 Biological effects of exposure to ionizing radiation during gestation and childhood

3 Parameters that influence conceptus and paediatric patient radiation dose from radiodiagnostic procedures

4 Amount of dose absorbed by the conceptus and paediatric patients from diagnostic and interventional radiology

5 Methods to calculate conceptus and paediatric dose

6 Optimization of radiological examinations performed during pregnancy

7 Optimization of examinations performed on paediatric patients

8 The management of pregnant patients and pregnant employees

Appendix

This book, a unique in its kind, deals with in-depth information on radiation dose management of pregnant patients, pregnant staff, and paediatric patients in diagnostic and interventional radiology.

The list of references supporting the studies carried out in the respective fields has been covered extensively at the end of each chapter. Readers of this book can get more in‑depth information from the quoted references. This book has also given the names of numerous software, mainly based on Monte Carlo simulation techniques, and can be downloaded elsewhere. The usage of high‑dose interventional procedures and CT examination in the pregnant patient is limited, but CT examination in children is rapidly increasing; hence, an extensive elaboration on radiation dose measurement in pregnant patient and the pediatric patient group was needed. The author has given lots of illustrative problems and their solutions. There are certain repetitions of exposure parameters and risk assessment in each individual procedure. In my opinion, combining Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 could have given some scope to reduce the number of pages of the book.

I strongly recommend medical physicist and radiologist to read this book if one is interested in knowing various aspects of conceptus dose and pediatric doses in diagnostic radiological examinations.

Ajai K. Srivastava, Journal of Medical Physics, August 2022