Pregnancy Test Advised for Female Trauma Victims Prior to Radiation Exposure

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@ICX.NET>]

Of possible interest to RadSafers...

- Susan Gawarecki



Pregnancy Test Advised for Female Trauma Victims Prior to Radiation

Exposure 



WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Jun 28 - Trauma patients in whom

pregnancy status is not known are routinely exposed to doses of

radiation exceeding the maximum limit of 5 rads established by the

American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, according to

physicians from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in

Baltimore. 



Dr. Grant V. Bochicchio and associates found that, of 3976 women of

reproductive age admitted to a trauma center between 1995 and 1999, 114

were pregnant. Nine of the pregnancies were previously undiagnosed; in

four cases, the patient was unable to tell the trauma team that she was

pregnant. 



According to the investigators' report in the May issue of the Journal

of the American College of Surgeons, a mean radiation dose of 4.3 rads

was received by the patients with incidental pregnancy during their

initial resuscitation.  Cumulative radiation exposure was greater than 5

rads in 85% of patients. 



There were 10 fetal deaths among those with incidental pregnancy, of

which three were the result of elective abortion. These abortions were

performed because of the mother's fear of an abnormal fetus resulting

from the injury and the radiation exposure. 



Dr. Bochicchio and his colleagues suggest that female trauma victims of

childbearing age should receive a quick urine pregnancy screen,

routinely undergo abdominal and pelvic ultrasonography, and have an

abdominal shield when undergoing radiologic evaluation. 



J Am Coll Surg 2001;192:566-569

************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.