Radiation Exposure In Medical Imaging Research Articles

Radioprotective Effect of Selenium Nanoparticles: A Mini Review.

This study followed the PRISMA reporting guidelines to present the results. A comprehensive search was performed on electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Science Direct. Initially, 413 articles were retrieved. After removing duplicates and applying specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 articles were finally included in this systematic review. The reviewed studies showed that selenium nanoparticles had anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. They effectively protected the kidneys, liver, and testicles from damage. Furthermore, there was evidence of efficient radioprotection for the organs examined without significant side effects. This systematic review emphasizes the potential advantages of using selenium nanoparticles to prevent the negative effects of ionizing radiation. Importantly, these protective effects were achieved without causing noticeable side effects. These findings suggest the potential role of selenium nanoparticles as radioprotective agents, offering possible therapeutic applications to reduce the risks related to ionizing radiation exposure in medical imaging and radiotherapy procedures.

Sparse-view X-ray CT based on a box-constrained nonlinear weighted anisotropic TV regularization.

Sparse-view computed tomography (CT) is an important way to reduce the negative effect of radiation exposure in medical imaging by skipping some X-ray projections. However, due to violating the Nyquist/Shannon sampling criterion, there are severe streaking artifacts in the reconstructed CT images that could mislead diagnosis. Noting the ill-posedness nature of the corresponding inverse problem in a sparse-view CT, minimizing an energy functional composed by an image fidelity term together with properly chosen regularization terms is widely used to reconstruct a medical meaningful attenuation image. In this paper, we propose a regularization, called the box-constrained nonlinear weighted anisotropic total variation (box-constrained NWATV), and minimize the regularization term accompanying the least square fitting using an alternative direction method of multipliers (ADMM) type method. The proposed method is validated through the Shepp-Logan phantom model, alongisde the actual walnut X-ray projections provided by Finnish Inverse Problems Society and the human lung images. The experimental results show that the reconstruction speed of the proposed method is significantly accelerated compared to the existing $ L_1/L_2 $ regularization method. Precisely, the central processing unit (CPU) time is reduced more than 8 times.

Optimizing Communication of Radiation Exposure in Medical Imaging, the Radiologist Challenge

Since I started my residency program in Radiology, I have been committed to promoting radiation protection, paying particular attention to the justification and optimization of the examinations [...].

Adverse events due to unnecessary radiation exposure in medical imaging reported in Finland

IntroductionAdverse events in radiology are quite rare, but they do occur. Radiation safety regulations and the law obligate organizations to report certain adverse events, harm and near misses, especially events related to patients' health and safety. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse incidents related to radiation safety issues reported in Finland. MethodsThe data were collected from incident reports documented by radiology personnel concerning notifications of abnormal events in medical imaging made to the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority between 2010 and 2017. During these eight years, 312 reports were submitted. Only events reported from radiology departments were included; nuclear medicine, radiotherapy and animal radiology cases were excluded. The final number of reports was 293 (94%). ResultsThe majority of the 293 approved reports were related to computed tomography (CT, 68.3%) and to X-ray examinations (27.6%). Altogether 82.9% of those irradiated were adults, most of whom were exposed to unnecessary radiation through CT (86.5%), 5.5% were children, and 4.4% pregnant women. The most common effective dose of unnecessary radiation was 1 mSv or less (89.7% of all examinations). The highest effective doses were reported in CT (from under 1 mSv–20 mSv and above). The reasons for the adverse events were incorrect identification (32%), incorrect procedure, site or side (30%); and human errors or errors of knowledge (20%). ConclusionAdverse events occurred especially in CT examinations. It is important to collect and analyse incident data, assess the harmful events, learn from them and aim to reduce adverse events. Implications for practiceThis study emphasizes the need for radiological personnel to obtain evidence-based information on adverse events and focus on training to improve patient safety.

I181] Patient radiation exposure monitoring in medical imaging

Purpose The IAEA GSR Part 3, Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards has placed requirements on managing patient exposure from medical uses of ionizing radiation. These pertain to performing and documenting dosimetry of patients following internationally accepted or nationally accepted protocols, determining typical doses to patients for common diagnostic radiological procedures and for image guided interventional procedures, and performing regular local assessments, based on the measurements, for those radiological procedures for which Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) have been established. Methods The IAEA Technical meetings held in April 2015 and June 2016 requested from the IAEA to prepare a publication that provides consolidated information and guidance on patient radiation exposure in medical imaging for improved patient protection. The publication is in preparation by a group of experts, involving also representatives of international organizations and WG 28 (Physics) of DICOM. Results The document will offer a comprehensive delineation of metrics used for patient exposure data across multiple imaging modalities, including relevant acquisition parameters, exposure and dose indicators, organ doses, and the derived risk related quantities. Strategies for recording and collecting of these metrics using coding systems with a view towards ensuring data accuracy and integrity will be explicitly addressed. Considering the significant need for meaningful systematic analyses of exposure data, the document will delineate strategies on how the exposure data should be evaluated, analyzed, and understood for use towards optimization of radiation protection of patients in medical imaging. The analysis includes the methods for establishing DRLs and typical doses and trends towards improved operational consistency. It further addresses ascertaining exposure information for individual patients for error investigation and tracking exposure history for individualized justification and optimization. In addition to metrology and analysis, the document will offer description of electronic and manual strategies for data management and workflow, as well as the needed features, access, and interface for effective utilization of patient exposure data monitoring systems, considering the needs and constraints of less-resourced countries. Conclusions It is expected that the publication will support the implementation of the BSS requirements.

Abstract 4241: Associations between perceived medical device-related radiation harm and adherence to mammography screening guidelines

Abstract Introduction: Many forms of cancer screening involve imaging technologies utilizing radiation. Broad media coverage of radiation-related health risks may shape the public's perceptions of imaging-based cancer screening, such as mammography. In turn, this may impact patient outcomes by affecting cancer screening decisions. Our primary aim was to evaluate population differences in beliefs about medical radiation exposure in the United States and associations with mammography screening rates in women. Methods: We analyzed data from the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 2012 administration. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to evaluate associations of sex, ethnicity, age, annual income, and education with perceptions of harm from medical test radiation exposure. Additional analyses evaluated the role of radiation perception on compliance with current mammography screening recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Results: Approximately one-third of respondents indicated that they worried about medical imaging-related radiation exposure. Respondents who perceived medical imaging radiation as harmful to health were more likely to be female, be diagnosed with cancer, have less formal education, report lower socioeconomic status, and identify as an ethnic minority. Most female participants were not in compliance with current breast cancer screening recommendations (weighted percentage = 83.8%). Annual income (p = 0.042) and ethnicity (p = 0.0478) were two variables that were significantly associated with adherence to the recommended mammography screening paradigm. Women without health insurance were more likely to worry about medical imaging-related radiation (p=0.073). Neither health insurance (95%CI = 0.29, 4.99) nor excess worry about radiation exposure from medical imaging devices (95%CI=0.42, 1.89) predicted compliance to mammography screening, after adjusting for relevant sociodemographic variables. Conclusions: These results indicate that some populations may be more concerned about harm from medical device-related radiation than others. Identifying these populations may help improve future cancer patient outcomes by promoting targeted health interventions and communication strategies for these individuals. Women may be more likely to perceive medical imaging radiation exposure as harmful to health, however this alone could not account for why the majority of female respondents were not adhering to recommended mammograms screening guidelines. Future studies are needed to identify the major contributor to low breast cancer screening rates in the United States. Citation Format: Kekoa Taparra, Kay M. Pepin, Alexandra J. Greenberg-Worisek. Associations between perceived medical device-related radiation harm and adherence to mammography screening guidelines [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4241.

Top 100 Cited articles on Radiation Exposure in Medical Imaging: A Bibliometric Analysis

Bibliometric analyses by highest number of citations can help researchers and funding agencies in determining the most influential articles in a field. The main objective of this analysis was to identify the top 100 cited articles addressing radiation exposure from medical imaging and assess their characteristics. Relevant articles were extracted from the Scopus database after a systematic search by researchers using an iteratively defined Boolean search string. Subsequently, exclusion criteria were applied. A list of top 100 articles was prepared, and articles were ranked according to the citations they had received. No time restriction was applied. Descriptive statistics of the data were compiled. The top-cited articles were published from 1970-2013, with the most articles published in 2009 and 2010 (12 articles in each year). The citations ranged from 107-1888 with a median of 272. Manuscripts from our top-cited list originated from 20 different countries, with contributions made by 158 authors and 160 organizations. Eighty-eight percent of studies evaluated patient-related radiation exposure, 7% health care workers, and 5% both or were not specified. Thirty-two percent of studies examined adult populations, 14% pediatric, and 54% included both populations or did not specify. Seventy-two percent of studies were dedicated to Computed Tomography, 8% to radiography/fluoroscopy, 9% to interventional procedures, 4% to nuclear medicine, and 7% to a combination of 2 or more modalities. The top 100 cited articles in medical imaging related to radiation exposure are diverse, originating from many countries with numerous contributing authors. The most common topics covered involve CT and adult patients. The recent peak in the most-highly cited articles (2010) suggests that increased attention has been devoted to this field in recent years. Based on these results, it would appear that research on radiation exposure in medical imaging is poised to continue expanding.

Parental Knowledge of Radiation Exposure in Medical Imaging Used in the Pediatric Emergency Department

We sought to quantify the knowledge base among parents and legal guardians presenting to our pediatric emergency department regarding radiation exposure during medical imaging and potential risks to children resulting from ionizing radiation. We sought to examine if a child's previous exposure to medical imaging changed caregiver knowledge base and discern caregivers' preference for future education on this topic. A prospective convenience sample survey was performed of caregivers who presented with their child to our tertiary pediatric emergency department. Parents or legal guardians (18-89 years) who accompanied a child (0-17 years) were eligible for inclusion and approached for enrollment. A structured questionnaire was administered by trained interviewers, and a chart review was conducted to ascertain if their child had a history of previous imaging. Sixty percent of caregivers interviewed (n = 205 of 340) did not associate any long-term negative effects with medical imaging. Among participants who did express a perceived risk from medical imaging radiation exposure, only 50% could indicate a known negative effect from exposure. We found no significant association between a child having had documented imaging studies and awareness of long-term negative effects (P = 0.22). Participants preferred to learn more about this topic from an Internet-based resource (50%), informational pamphlet (38%), or via treating physician (33%). Parents and legal guardians are largely unaware that exposure to radiation during medical imaging carries an inherent risk for their child. Health care providers wishing to educate caregivers should utilize reliable Internet sources, educational pamphlets, and direct communication.

Radiation exposure in children with inflammatory bowel disease

Radiation exposure due to medical imaging has grown exponentially over the past two decades and the awareness has increased in the last few years with a number of articles in scientific publications and lay press. Radiation increases the risk of cancer and is particularly a concern in children. Limiting radiation exposure is most important in children, who are more sensitive to radiation, and specifically in children with a chronic lifelong disease such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Children with IBD and specifically Crohn's disease demonstrate high exposure to ionizing radiation due to medical imaging. The yearly rate of medical imaging radiation exposure may seem small at approximately 3-5 mSv/year, which is only slightly higher than typical background radiation (3 mSv/year). However, this extra yearly radiation exposure to children with a lifelong chronic disease may increase the risk of cancer. Additionally, recent literature suggests that some children with more severe disease are exposed to high radiation doses within the first few years of diagnosis. Imaging modalities that do not utilize radiation, such as MRI and ultrasonography, have demonstrated utility in diagnosing and managing IBD and are particularly important for children. Pediatricians caring for children with chronic diseases should consider radiation exposure and limit exposure when possible. Future quality outcome benchmarks should include limiting exposure to radiation in children with chronic diseases.

Medical Imaging Radiation Safety for the Female Patient: Rationale and Implementation

For the modern practitioner of women's imaging, achieving a balance between the positive diagnostic benefits available from current medical imaging on the one hand, and the potentially deleterious effects of ionizing radiation exposure on the other, has become a central issue. Increased public and professional awareness of the side effects of radiation now require a comprehensive understanding of the facts involved, the various risks to which patients are exposed, and the measures that can be implemented to minimize these risks. The major challenges posed by pregnancy, radiosensitive breast tissue, lactation, and an inability to easily exclude ovaries from the imaging field make female patients particularly vulnerable to medical imaging radiation exposure. The nature of this vulnerability changes frequently and depends on the imaging being performed, the age of the patient, and the clinical situation. For this reason, attention to gynecologic imaging radiation exposure across the whole life span is vitally important.

Diagnostic Medical Imaging Radiation Exposure and Risk of Development of Solid and Hematologic Malignancy

Limiting patients' exposure to ionizing radiation during diagnostic imaging is of concern to patients and clinicians. Large single-dose exposures and cumulative exposures to ionizing radiation have been associated with solid tumors and hematologic malignancy. Although these associations have been a driving force in minimizing patients' exposure, significant risks are found when diagnoses are missed and subsequent treatment is withheld. Therefore, based on epidemiologic data obtained after nuclear and occupational exposures, dose exposure limits have been estimated. A recent collaborative effort between the US Food and Drug Administration and the American College of Radiology has provided information and tools that patients and imaging professionals can use to avoid unnecessary ionizing radiation scans and ensure use of the lowest feasible radiation dose necessary for studies. Further collaboration, research, and development should focus on producing technological advances that minimize individual study exposures and duplicate studies. This article outlines the research used to govern safe radiation doses, defines recent initiatives in decreasing radiation exposure, and provides orthopedic surgeons with techniques that may help decrease radiation exposure in their daily practice.

Managing Radiation Use in Medical Imaging: A Multifaceted Challenge

This special report aims to inform the medical community about the many challenges involved in managing radiation exposure in a way that maximizes the benefit-risk ratio. The report discusses the state of current knowledge and key questions in regard to sources of medical imaging radiation exposure, radiation risk estimation, dose reduction strategies, and regulatory options.

Stroke scans and radiation risk

Stroke scans and radiation risk

Incorporating Radiation Dose Assessments Into the ACR Appropriateness Criteria®

In 2006, the ACR convened a group of radiologists, medical physicists, industry and regulatory agency representatives, and a patient advocate to address issues related to the risks of radiation exposure in medical imaging. This group, the Blue Ribbon Panel on Radiation Dose in Medicine, developed a series of recommendations aimed at optimizing radiologic image quality and radiation dose and preventing the inappropriate use of procedures involving ionizing radiation [ 1 Amis Jr, E.S. Butler P.F. Applegate K.E. et al. American College of Radiology white paper on radiation dose in medicine. J Am Coll Radiol. 2007; 4: 272-284 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (699) Google Scholar ]. Several of their recommendations relate to educating referring physicians about radiation exposure risk. One recommendation in particular calls for the incorporation of radiation dose information into the ACR Appropriateness Criteria, a guide for the selection of proper imaging procedures for particular medical conditions. In response to this recommendation, relative radiation level (RRL) designations were added to the Appropriateness Criteria in September 2007. These designations indicate which imaging procedures expose patients to radiation and the relative magnitude of that exposure. By adding RRL designations, referring physicians using the Appropriateness Criteria will not only be advised of the appropriate imaging procedure for medical conditions but will also be steered toward procedures that minimize radiation dose to their patients.

American College of Radiology White Paper on Radiation Dose in Medicine

The benefits of diagnostic imaging are immense and have revolutionized the practice of medicine. The increased sophistication and clinical efficacy of imaging have resulted in its dramatic growth over the past quarter century. Although data derived from the atomic bomb survivors in Japan and other events suggest that the expanding use of imaging modalities using ionizing radiation may eventually result in an increased incidence of cancer in the exposed population, this problem can likely be minimized by preventing the inappropriate use of such imaging and by optimizing studies that are performed to obtain the best image quality with the lowest radiation dose. The ACR, which has been an advocate for radiation safety since its inception in 1924, convened the ACR Blue Ribbon Panel on Radiation Dose in Medicine to address these issues. This white paper details a proposed action plan for the college derived from the deliberations of that panel.

Reconstructing polygons from x-rays

We present strategies for interactively reconstructing polygons from carefully chosen x-ray probes, generalizing previous results for convex polygons to a significantly larger class of objects. In particular, we show that n+h+2 parallel x-ray probes are sufficient to determine an n-gon P with h vertices on its convex hull, provided no three vertices of P are collinear. If given an upper bound n′ on the number of vertices of P, then 2n′+2 parallel probes or 3n′ origin probes suffice. Further, we show that ⌊lg n−2⌋ probes are necessary. Finally, we present verification strategies for arbitrary polygons. Interactive probing strategies have the potential to minimize radiation exposure in medical imaging.