x-Ray department
The x-ray is the most commonly performed diagnostic examination. It is a painless medical test that helps doctors diagnose and treat medical conditions. Radiography involves exposing a part of the body to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body. X-rays are the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging.
How should I prepare for the procedure?
A chest x-ray requires no special preparation. You may be asked to remove some or all of your clothes and to wear a gown during the exam. You may also be asked to remove jewelry, eyeglasses and any metal objects or clothing that might interfere with the x-ray images. Women should always inform their physician or x-ray technician if there is any possibility that they are pregnant. Many imaging tests are not performed during pregnancy because radiation can be harmful to the foetus.
What are the benefits vs. risks?
Benefits: No radiation remains in a patient's body after an x-ray examination. X-rays usually have no side effects. X-ray equipment is relatively inexpensive and widely available in physician offices, ambulatory care centers, nursing homes and other locations, making it convenient for both patients and physicians. Because x-ray imaging is fast and easy, it is particularly useful in emergency diagnosis and treatment.
Risks: There is always a slight chance of cancer from radiation. However, the benefit of an accurate diagnosis far outweighs the risk. The chest x-ray is one of the lowest radiation exposures medical examinations performed today. The effective radiation dose from this procedure is about 0.1 mSv, which is about the same as the average person receives from background radiation in 10 days. Women should always inform their physician or x-ray technologist if there is any possibility that they are pregnant.
A Word About Minimizing Radiation Exposure
Special care is taken during x-ray examinations to use the lowest radiation dose possible while producing the best images for evaluation. National and international radiology protection councils continually review and update the technique standards used by radiology professionals. State-of-the-art x-ray systems have tightly controlled x-ray beams with significant filtration and dose control methods to minimize stray or scatter radiation. This ensures those parts of a patient's body not being imaged receive minimal radiation exposure.
The X-ray staff at GRH is Latha Jasmine.
