Dear Digital X-Ray Insider,
Clinical value can be derived from patient radiation dose audits involving electronic x-ray records that are contained in a RIS and have been collected, analyzed, and managed by modern IT systems, U.K. researchers have found.
Having studied 1.3 million radiographical examinations performed over three years at 10 hospitals in northern England, the group has shown the resulting data can be used to establish local and regional dose reference levels. To read more, go to your Digital X-Ray Community, or click here.
To obtain a high-quality x-ray image of the spine, good patient positioning is vital, and the approach taken can also have a significant impact on dose. New research suggests patients lying supine for lateral lumbar spine examinations will receive a higher x-ray dose under single automatic exposure control and without tube potential change than if they had been lying on their side. Get the story here.
Also on the subject of dose minimization, staff at the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa in Finland have implemented an effective strategy for minimizing dose in x-ray and CT. Make sure you don't miss our article on this case study in good practice.
Meanwhile, Swiss researchers have shown that biplanar low-dose x-ray systems outperform standard digital radiography systems in terms of delivering a lower radiation dose to the patient, and also have other advantages in acquiring images. However, their cost and limited uses require high examination volume to make them cost-effective, the researchers said. Click here for the full details.
Digital x-ray systems were used to great effect at the London Olympics, particularly by the emergency medical services. To learn more about how the operation was organized, click here.
You can look over our full list of stories below or by going to the Digital X-Ray Community. Also, please do make sure you check back at regular intervals.
