Thousand Oaks Imaging Center
Are X-Rays safe?
As with other medical procedures, x-rays are safe when used with care. Radiologists and x-ray technologists have been trained to use the minimum amount of radiation necessary to obtain the needed results. The amount of radiation used in most examinations is very small and the benefits greatly outweigh the risk of harm.
X-rays are produced only when a switch is momentarily turned on. As with visible light, no radiation remains after the switch is turned off.
What if I am pregnant?
As with any aspect of medical care, knowing that a patient is or could be pregnant is important information. Pregnancy, for example, might explain certain symptoms or medical findings. When a pregnant patient is ill or injured, the physician will carefully select medications to avoid potential risks to the developing child. This is also true of x-rays.
While the vast majority of medical x-rays do not pose a critical risk to a developing child, there may be a small likelihood of causing a serious illness or other complication. The actual risk depends on how far along the pregnancy is and on the type of x-ray. Ultrasound studies, for example, don't use x-rays and have never demonstrated any potential for risk to a pregnancy. X-ray studies of the head, arms, legs and chest do not usually expose the baby directly to x-rays and typically the technologist who takes the x-rays will implement special precautions to ensure that the baby of a pregnant patient is not directly exposed.
Sometimes patients need examinations of the abdomen or pelvis while they are pregnant. When studies of the abdomen or pelvis are required, the physician may prefer to order a different type of exam for a pregnant patient or reduce the number of x-rays from that which are normally acquired. Therefore it is important that you inform your physician or the x-ray technologist about your reproductive status before the x-ray study is performed.
Most standard x-ray examinations of the abdomen are not likely to pose a serious risk to the child. Some abdominal and pelvic studies such as CT deliver greater amounts of radiation to a developing pregnancy. Informing the radiologist that you are or might be pregnant is important so that your medical care can be planned with both you and your baby in mind. Remember, this is done to optimize medical care by reducing any potential risk.
However, in nuclear medicine another precaution is advised for women who are breast-feeding a child. Some of the pharmaceuticals that are used for the study can pass into the mother's milk and subsequently the child will consume them. To avoid this possibility, it is important that a nursing mother inform her physician and the nuclear medicine technologist about this before the examination begins. Usually, you will be asked to discontinue breast-feeding for a short while, pump your breasts in the interim and discard the milk. Breast-feeding can often resume shortly afterwards.
How Safe is MRI?
The powerful magnetic field of the MR system will attract iron-containing (also known as ferromagnetic) objects and may cause them to move suddenly and with great force. This can pose a possible risk to the patient or anyone in an object's flight path. Great care is taken to be certain that objects such as "ferromagnetic" screwdrivers and oxygen tanks are not brought into the MR system area. It is vital that you remove any metallic belongings in advance of an MRI exam, including watches, jewelry, and items of clothing that have metallic threads or fasteners.
The powerful magnetic field of the MR system will pull on any iron-containing object in the body, such as certain medication pumps or aneurysm clips. Every MRI facility has a protocol that, when carefully followed, will ensure that the MRI technologist and radiologist knows about the presence of metallic implants and materials so that special precautions can be taken. In some unusual cases the exam may have to be canceled. An example is MRI of the head when a "ferromagnetic" aneurysm clip is present, because there is a risk of the clip moving or being dislodged. The magnetic field may damage an external hearing aid or cause a heart pacemaker or electrical stimulator to malfunction. If you have a bullet or other metallic fragment in your body there is a potential risk that it could change position, possibly causing injury.
A metallic implant or other object may distort the MR images or make it difficult for the MRI system to "tune" to your body. This may be unavoidable, but if the radiologist knows about it, allowance can be made when interpreting the images.
For some MRI studies a contrast material called gadolinium may be injected into a vein to help interpret the exam. Unlike contrast agents used in x-ray studies, a gadolinium contrast agent does not contain iodine and therefore rarely causes an allergic reaction or other problem.
The Question of Claustrophobia
Some patients who have MRI in an enclosed scanner may feel confined, closed-in, and frightened. Perhaps one in twenty will require a sedative to remain calm. Today, many patients avoid this problem when examined in one of the newer MRI units that have a more "open" design. Some MRI centers permit a relative or friend to be present in the MR system room, which also has a calming effect. If patients are properly prepared and know what to expect, it is almost always possible to complete the examination even if a conventional MRI system is used.
If you have any other questions or would just like to speak to us personally about your concerns, contact us by phone at 417-626-0072 or email us at [email protected]
As with other medical procedures, x-rays are safe when used with care. Radiologists and x-ray technologists have been trained to use the minimum amount of radiation necessary to obtain the needed results. The amount of radiation used in most examinations is very small and the benefits greatly outweigh the risk of harm.
X-rays are produced only when a switch is momentarily turned on. As with visible light, no radiation remains after the switch is turned off.
What if I am pregnant?
As with any aspect of medical care, knowing that a patient is or could be pregnant is important information. Pregnancy, for example, might explain certain symptoms or medical findings. When a pregnant patient is ill or injured, the physician will carefully select medications to avoid potential risks to the developing child. This is also true of x-rays.
While the vast majority of medical x-rays do not pose a critical risk to a developing child, there may be a small likelihood of causing a serious illness or other complication. The actual risk depends on how far along the pregnancy is and on the type of x-ray. Ultrasound studies, for example, don't use x-rays and have never demonstrated any potential for risk to a pregnancy. X-ray studies of the head, arms, legs and chest do not usually expose the baby directly to x-rays and typically the technologist who takes the x-rays will implement special precautions to ensure that the baby of a pregnant patient is not directly exposed.
Sometimes patients need examinations of the abdomen or pelvis while they are pregnant. When studies of the abdomen or pelvis are required, the physician may prefer to order a different type of exam for a pregnant patient or reduce the number of x-rays from that which are normally acquired. Therefore it is important that you inform your physician or the x-ray technologist about your reproductive status before the x-ray study is performed.
Most standard x-ray examinations of the abdomen are not likely to pose a serious risk to the child. Some abdominal and pelvic studies such as CT deliver greater amounts of radiation to a developing pregnancy. Informing the radiologist that you are or might be pregnant is important so that your medical care can be planned with both you and your baby in mind. Remember, this is done to optimize medical care by reducing any potential risk.
However, in nuclear medicine another precaution is advised for women who are breast-feeding a child. Some of the pharmaceuticals that are used for the study can pass into the mother's milk and subsequently the child will consume them. To avoid this possibility, it is important that a nursing mother inform her physician and the nuclear medicine technologist about this before the examination begins. Usually, you will be asked to discontinue breast-feeding for a short while, pump your breasts in the interim and discard the milk. Breast-feeding can often resume shortly afterwards.
How Safe is MRI?
The powerful magnetic field of the MR system will attract iron-containing (also known as ferromagnetic) objects and may cause them to move suddenly and with great force. This can pose a possible risk to the patient or anyone in an object's flight path. Great care is taken to be certain that objects such as "ferromagnetic" screwdrivers and oxygen tanks are not brought into the MR system area. It is vital that you remove any metallic belongings in advance of an MRI exam, including watches, jewelry, and items of clothing that have metallic threads or fasteners.
The powerful magnetic field of the MR system will pull on any iron-containing object in the body, such as certain medication pumps or aneurysm clips. Every MRI facility has a protocol that, when carefully followed, will ensure that the MRI technologist and radiologist knows about the presence of metallic implants and materials so that special precautions can be taken. In some unusual cases the exam may have to be canceled. An example is MRI of the head when a "ferromagnetic" aneurysm clip is present, because there is a risk of the clip moving or being dislodged. The magnetic field may damage an external hearing aid or cause a heart pacemaker or electrical stimulator to malfunction. If you have a bullet or other metallic fragment in your body there is a potential risk that it could change position, possibly causing injury.
A metallic implant or other object may distort the MR images or make it difficult for the MRI system to "tune" to your body. This may be unavoidable, but if the radiologist knows about it, allowance can be made when interpreting the images.
For some MRI studies a contrast material called gadolinium may be injected into a vein to help interpret the exam. Unlike contrast agents used in x-ray studies, a gadolinium contrast agent does not contain iodine and therefore rarely causes an allergic reaction or other problem.
The Question of Claustrophobia
Some patients who have MRI in an enclosed scanner may feel confined, closed-in, and frightened. Perhaps one in twenty will require a sedative to remain calm. Today, many patients avoid this problem when examined in one of the newer MRI units that have a more "open" design. Some MRI centers permit a relative or friend to be present in the MR system room, which also has a calming effect. If patients are properly prepared and know what to expect, it is almost always possible to complete the examination even if a conventional MRI system is used.
If you have any other questions or would just like to speak to us personally about your concerns, contact us by phone at 417-626-0072 or email us at [email protected]
