Full-Mouth Intraoral Radiographic Survey in Rabbits

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-200
Author(s):  
Adriana Regalado ◽  
Loïc Legendre

Dental pathologies are highly prevalent in pet rabbit populations, making oral radiography an essential tool in the evaluation of lagomorph dentitions. The unique anatomy of the rabbit’s mouth limits the examination of the conscious animal to the rostral portion of it's mouth. In addition, the oral examination of an aradicular hypsodont tooth is restricted to the short coronal fraction of its crown. Erstwhile images obtained by the extraoral technique were once considered the most practical and informative tool in rabbit dentistry; however, limited visualization of the key structures of individual teeth became the major drawback of this technique. As new imaging technologies are becoming widely available and affordable for veterinarians, intraoral radiography offers the ability to prevent, diagnose, and treat oral pathologies in lagomorphs. This article describes a step-by-step procedure to obtain a full-mouth radiographic survey in rabbits. For this technique, a standard dental X-ray generator and intraoral storage phosphor plates are used while applying the bisecting angle technique. Among the advantages of this technique are detailed visualization of internal and external dental structures, identification of early lesions, and detection of occult pathologies. Furthermore, intraoral images offer superior resolution and higher diagnostic quality with minimal radiation exposure, making this method safer for the veterinarian, staff members, and their patients.

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Sodickson

Many tools and strategies exist to enable reduction of radiation exposure from computed tomography (CT). The common CT metrics of x-ray output, the volume CT dose index and the dose-length product, are explained and serve as the basis for monitoring radiation exposure from CT. Many strategies to dose-optimize CT protocols are explored that, in combination with available hardware and software tools, allow robust diagnostic quality CT to be performed with a radiation exposure appropriate for the clinical scenario and the size of the patient. Specific emergency department example protocols are used to demonstrate these techniques.


Author(s):  
P Kamusella ◽  
F Scheer ◽  
C Lüdtke ◽  
P Wiggermann ◽  
C Wissgott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 36-39
Author(s):  
Samson O. Paulinus ◽  
Benjamin E. Udoh ◽  
Bassey E. Archibong ◽  
Akpama E. Egong ◽  
Akwa E. Erim ◽  
...  

Objective: Physicians who often request for computed tomography (CT) scan examinations are expected to have sound knowledge of radiation exposure (risks) to patients in line with the basic radiation protection principles according to the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), the Protection of Persons Undergoing Medical Exposure or Treatment (POPUMET), and the Ionizing Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IR(ME)R). The aim is to assess the level of requesting physicians’ knowledge of ionizing radiation from CT scan examinations in two Nigerian tertiary hospitals. Materials and Methods: An 18-item-based questionnaire was distributed to 141 practicing medical doctors, excluding radiologists with work experience from 0 to >16 years in two major teaching hospitals in Nigeria with a return rate of 69%, using a voluntary sampling technique. Results: The results showed that 25% of the respondents identified CT thorax, abdomen, and pelvis examination as having the highest radiation risk, while 22% said that it was a conventional chest X-ray. Furthermore, 14% concluded that CT head had the highest risk while 9% gave their answer to be conventional abdominal X-ray. In addition, 17% inferred that magnetic resonance imaging had the highest radiation risk while 11% had no idea. Furthermore, 25.5% of the respondents have had training on ionizing radiation from CT scan examinations while 74.5% had no training. Majority (90%) of the respondents were not aware of the ICRP guidelines for requesting investigations with very little (<3%) or no knowledge (0%) on the POPUMET and the IR(ME)R respectively. Conclusion: There is low level of knowledge of ionizing radiation from CT scan examinations among requesting physicians in the study locations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 301
Author(s):  
Sławomir Paśko ◽  
Wojciech Glinkowski

Scoliosis is a three-dimensional trunk and spinal deformity. Patient evaluation is essential for the decision-making process and determines the selection of specific and adequate treatment. The diagnosis requires a radiological evaluation that exposes patients to radiation. This exposure reaches hazardous levels when numerous, repetitive radiographic studies are required for diagnostics, monitoring, and treatment. Technological improvements in radiographic devices have significantly reduced radiation exposure, but the risk for patients remains. Optical three-dimensional surface topography (3D ST) measurement systems that use surface topography (ST) to screen, diagnose, and monitor scoliosis are safer alternatives to radiography. The study aimed to show that the combination of plain X-ray and 3D ST scans allows for an approximate presentation of the vertebral column spinous processes line in space to determine the shape of the spine’s deformity in scoliosis patients. Twelve patients diagnosed with scoliosis, aged 13.1 ± 4.5 years (range: 9 to 20 years) (mean: Cobb angle 17.8°, SD: ±9.5°) were enrolled in the study. Patients were diagnosed using full-spine X-ray and whole torso 3D ST. The novel three-dimensional assessment of the spinous process lines by merging 3D ST and X-ray data in patients with scoliosis was implemented. The method’s expected uncertainty is less than 5 mm, which is better than the norm for a standard measurement tool. The presented accuracy level is considered adequate; the proposed solution is accurate enough to monitor the changes in the shape of scoliosis’s spinous processes line. The proposed method allows for a relatively precise calculation of the spinous process lines based on a three-dimensional point cloud obtained with a four-directional, three-dimensional structured light diagnostic system and a single X-ray image. The method may help reduce patients’ total radiation exposure and avoid one X-ray in the sagittal projection if biplanar radiograms are required for reconstructing the three-dimensional line of the spinous processes line.


2010 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 260-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Björkdahl ◽  
Ulf Nyman

Background: Concern has been raised regarding the mounting collective radiation doses from computed tomography (CT), increasing the risk of radiation-induced cancers in exposed populations. Purpose: To compare radiation dose and image quality in a chest phantom and in patients for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) at 100 and 120 peak kilovoltage (kVp) using 16-multichannel detector computed tomography (MDCT). Material and Methods: A 20-ml syringe containing 12 mg I/ml was scanned in a chest phantom at 100/120 kVp and 25 milliampere seconds (mAs). Consecutive patients underwent 100 kVp ( n = 50) and 120 kVp ( n = 50) 16-MDCT using a “quality reference” effective mAs of 100, 300 mg I/kg, and a 12-s injection duration. Attenuation (CT number), image noise (1 standard deviation), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR; fresh clot = 70 HU) of the contrast medium syringe and pulmonary arteries were evaluated on 3-mm-thick slices. Subjective image quality was assessed. Computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) and dose–length product (DLP) were presented by the CT software, and effective dose was estimated. Results: Mean values in the chest phantom and patients changed as follows when X-ray tube potential decreased from 120 to 100 kVp: attenuation +23% and +40%, noise +38% and +48%, CNR −6% and 0%, and CTDIvol −38% and −40%, respectively. Mean DLP and effective dose in the patients decreased by 42% and 45%, respectively. Subjective image quality was excellent or adequate in 49/48 patients at 100/120 kVp. No patient with a negative CT had any thromboembolism diagnosed during 3-month follow-up. Conclusion: By reducing X-ray tube potential from 120 to 100 kVp, while keeping all other scanning parameters unchanged, the radiation dose to the patient may be almost halved without deterioration of diagnostic quality, which may be of particular benefit in young individuals.


Circulation ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos A Van Mieghem ◽  
Annick C Weustink ◽  
Marcel Kofflard ◽  
A. Schreve-Steensma ◽  
Niels A Matheijssen ◽  
...  

Introduction and aim: Dual Source CT (DSCT) scanners, with an increased temporal resolution (83 ms), are becoming widely available. To evaluate the current potential of this scanner in the clinical arena, we performed a head-to-head comparison with conventional coronary angiography (CCA) taking into account the following parameters: radiation exposure, procedure time and contrast load. Methods: During a one-year period (april 2006 to march 2007) we compared a consecutive patient group who underwent DSCT (318 patients, 222 male, mean age 68±11 years) and CCA (352 patients, 258 male, mean age 61±12) respectively. Patients with previous bypass surgery were excluded. In DSCT, the volume of iodinated contrast material was adapted to the scan time. A contrast bolus was injected in an antecubital vein at a flow rate of 5.0 ml/s followed by a saline chaser of 40 ml at 5.0 ml/s. Each tube provided 412 mAs/rot (maximum), and full X-ray tube current was given during 25–70% of the RR-interval. Exposure data were collected using the x-ray dosimetrical reports from DSCT and CCA. Results: The mean procedure time using DSCT and CCA was 16.1±4.7 min and 44.1±25.5 min (p<0.001), respectively. The mean contrast load in DSCT and CCA was 77.9±7.6 ml and 175.3±4.3ml (p<0.001), respectively. The overall radiation exposure for DSCT and CCA was calculated as 15.3±4.0 mSv and 5.7±4.3 mSv, respectively. Radiation exposure with DSCT was significantly lower (p<0.001) in patients with a heart rate of >70 bpm (12.9±3.1 mSv ) as compared with patients with heart rates <70 bpm (16.4±3.8 mSv). Conclusion: In today’s practice currently available DSCT scanners perform favorably as compared with CCA, considering procedure time and patient contrast load. Radiation exposure with DSCT remains higher but should not be considered a major disadvantage taking into account the relatively old age group that generally undergoes coronary angiography and the major benefit of not being exposed to the risks of an invasive procedure.


2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey K Korir ◽  
Jeska Sidika Wambani ◽  
Ian K Korir

Background. The wide use of ionising radiation in medical care has resulted in the largest man-made cause of radiation exposure. In recent years, diagnostic departments in Kenya have adapted the high-speed film/screen combination without well-established quality control, objective image quality criteria, and assessment of patient dose. The safety of patients in terms of justification and the as-low-as-reasonably-achievable (ALARA) principle is inadequate without quality assurance measures. Aim. This study assessed the level of film rejects, device performance, image quality and patient dose in 4 representative hospitals using high-speed film/screen combination. Results. The X-ray equipment quality control tests performance range was 67% to 90%, and 63% of the radiographs were of good diagnostic value. The measured prevalent chest examination entrance surface dose (ESD) showed levels above the international diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), while lumbar spine and pelvis examination was the largest source of radiation exposure to patients. Conclusion. The optimisation of patient protection can be achieved with optimally performing X-ray equipment, the application of good radiographic technique, and continuous assessment of radiographic image quality.


2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucie Fournier ◽  
Enora Cléro ◽  
Eric Samson ◽  
Sylvaine Caër-Lorho ◽  
Dominique Laurier ◽  
...  

ObjectivesThe French nuclear worker cohort allows for the assessment of cancer risk associated with occupational radiation exposure, but workers are also exposed to medical and environmental radiation which can be of the same order of magnitude. This study aims to examine the impact of non-occupational radiation exposures on the dose-risk analysis between occupational radiation exposure and cancer mortality.MethodsThe cohort included workers employed before 1995 for at least one year by CEA, AREVA NC or EDF and badge-monitored for external radiation exposure. Monitoring results were used to calculate occupational individual doses. Scenarios of work-related X-ray and environmental exposures were simulated. Poisson regression was used to quantify associations between occupational exposure and cancer mortality adjusting for non-occupational radiation exposure.ResultsThe mean cumulative dose of external occupational radiation was 18.4 mSv among 59 004 workers. Depending on the hypotheses made, the mean cumulative work-related X-ray dose varied between 3.1 and 9.2 mSv and the mean cumulative environmental dose was around 130 mSv. The unadjusted excess relative rate of cancer per Sievert (ERR/Sv) was 0.34 (90% CI −0.44 to 1.24). Adjusting for environmental radiation exposure did not substantially modify this risk coefficient, but it was attenuated by medical exposure (ERR/Sv point estimate between 0.15 and 0.23).ConclusionsOccupational radiation risk estimates were lower when adjusted for work-related X-ray exposures. Environmental exposures had a very slight impact on the occupational exposure risk estimates. In any scenario of non-occupational exposure considered, a positive but insignificant excess cancer risk associated with occupational exposure was observed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document