MP05-11 PREVALENCE OF PROTECTIVE SHIELDING UTILIZATION FOR RADIATION DOSE REDUCTION IN ADULT PATIENTS UNDERGOING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyImaging/Radiology: Uroradiology I1 Apr 2016MP05-11 PREVALENCE OF PROTECTIVE SHIELDING UTILIZATION FOR RADIATION DOSE REDUCTION IN ADULT PATIENTS UNDERGOING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY Brittany Uribe, Rahul Dutta, Kyle Spradling, and Jaime Landman Brittany UribeBrittany Uribe More articles by this author , Rahul DuttaRahul Dutta More articles by this author , Kyle SpradlingKyle Spradling More articles by this author , and Jaime LandmanJaime Landman More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2016.02.1988AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Computed tomography (CT) has become the most commonly used diagnostic imaging tool in the United States (US), yet it exposes patients to high doses of ionizing radiation that cumulatively can have adverse effects. Radiation shielding protocols have been shown to reduce radiation exposure. In the US, the ALARA principle (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) states that radiation dosages and radioactive material release should be as minimal as possible. Our objective was to examine the prevalence of protective shielding utilization in adult patients receiving routine head, chest, or abdominopelvic CT scans in the US. METHODS An online epidemiological survey was administered to randomly selected US hospitals with radiology departments. Questions regarding their dose-reduction shielding practices including eye, thyroid, breast, and gonadal shielding were included. Data were compiled using RedCap (Harvard Catalyst, Boston, MA). Descriptive statistics were used to assess the prevalence of shielding protocols during CT imaging. RESULTS Among the 55 responding hospitals, 54 (98%) reported being familiar with the ALARA principle and 46 (84%) agreed that shielding devices are beneficial to patients. However, only 34 (62%) institutions reported using shielding devices for patients undergoing CT imaging. Among these institutions, 28 (82%) use it during head CT, 25 (74%) during chest CT, 11 (32%) during abdominopelvic CT, and 6 (11%) use the devices for all three types of CT scans (Table 1). Figure 1 represents the geographic distribution of shielding protocols within the US. Shielding was not mandatory for the majority of participating hospitals. CONCLUSIONS Although most hospitals are familiar with the ALARA principle and agree CT shielding is a beneficial practice for radiation dose reduction, many still do not utilize any form of shielding and among those using shielding the practice is largely voluntary. © 2016FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 195Issue 4SApril 2016Page: e40-e41 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2016MetricsAuthor Information Brittany Uribe More articles by this author Rahul Dutta More articles by this author Kyle Spradling More articles by this author Jaime Landman More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...