Idiot question about radiographers...
Discussion
I was thinking... if you spent your whole career playing about with X-ray machines etc, don't you increase the chances of cancer? I know they step out of the room and there's loads of shielding but still... over a 50 year career, could it have some sort of effect? I mean, might you go green and muscley when you get angry? 
Edited by ShadownINja on Monday 28th June 17:49
ShadownINja said:
I was thinking... if you spent your whole career playing about with X-ray machines etc, don't you increase the chances of cancer? I know they step out of the room and there's loads of shielding but still... over a 50 year career, could it have some sort of effect? I mean, might you go green and muscley when you get angry?
Very unlikely, they go behind lead shields when xrays are taken and wear lead aprons when there is any close proximity work. It used to be the case that radiographers would get skin tumours on their legs, as the shields only shielded their top half. Not so nowadays.Edited by ShadownINja on Monday 28th June 17:49
Added to that, they were a badge which has a radiosensitive material in it, if they are overexposed the badge changes to indicate this.
Edited by 968 on Monday 28th June 18:26
I have been a radiographer for 13years (16years if you include training), and I am okay. Don't think I go green when angry, but better check with my husband about that!
I actually work in radiotherapy rather than diagnostic, so we are even better protected. The thickness of all the walls around us protects us from any environmental background radiation. Also, like another poster said we wear radiation monitors that are checked monthly and would register very small amounts of radiation.
I actually work in radiotherapy rather than diagnostic, so we are even better protected. The thickness of all the walls around us protects us from any environmental background radiation. Also, like another poster said we wear radiation monitors that are checked monthly and would register very small amounts of radiation.
nmpjt said:
Been doing it for 10yrs and still got all my extremities intact, just don't make me angry you wouldn't like me when I'm angry
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AMLK said:
I have been a radiographer for 13years (16years if you include training), and I am okay. Don't think I go green when angry, but better check with my husband about that!
I actually work in radiotherapy rather than diagnostic, so we are even better protected. The thickness of all the walls around us protects us from any environmental background radiation. Also, like another poster said we wear radiation monitors that are checked monthly and would register very small amounts of radiation.
Why did you choose therapy over diagnostic, then?I actually work in radiotherapy rather than diagnostic, so we are even better protected. The thickness of all the walls around us protects us from any environmental background radiation. Also, like another poster said we wear radiation monitors that are checked monthly and would register very small amounts of radiation.
My OH is a radiologist. I think CT scans are the big worry for radiation doses as far as patients are concerned but radiographers are well sheilded (different room) so there is no issue for them, same as with most of the other stuff they do. I know she is very careful with what she calls 'portable films' and barium enemas as these would be done closely/directly with the pateint and therefore with less radiation protection. But overall I don't think there is a significant increased amount of cancer with people in that line of work.
Hello, we wear lil badges (thermoluminescent detectors TLDs) to check we dont get too much, if there was an incident we would know when our badges get checked Cath lab environments present a similar x-ray source risk and scattered radiation from both the intensifier and the patient are potentially harmful to clincians - hence the long lead aprons, lead collars and even lead shielded eye protection. Cataract damage can be significantly accelerated by x-ray exposure. The scrub techs and circ nurses tend to alternate on each procedure to minimize exposure - the cardiologist just has to grin and bear it. The mobile lead/glass screens just seem to get in the way, from what I've seen.
Acehood said:
As a patient who's had about 30 x-rays and 3 CT scans I always wonder why I'm left alone in the room when the machinery is on. I should get a geiger counter and measure myself for radiation. Then let one of the radiologists have a go and see if theres much difference
30??? You need to quit BASE jumping. You must look like you eat Ready Brek, these days.Acehood said:
As a patient who's had about 30 x-rays and 3 CT scans I always wonder why I'm left alone in the room when the machinery is on. I should get a geiger counter and measure myself for radiation. Then let one of the radiologists have a go and see if theres much difference
One CT could be around 800 x-rays worth of radiation doses afaik. Do you glow in the dark? Ghisallo said:
Acehood said:
As a patient who's had about 30 x-rays and 3 CT scans I always wonder why I'm left alone in the room when the machinery is on. I should get a geiger counter and measure myself for radiation. Then let one of the radiologists have a go and see if theres much difference
One CT could be around 800 x-rays worth of radiation doses afaik. Do you glow in the dark? Hopefully the one I had the other day will be the last...
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