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Regulation of machine use
In a recent post, Barbara commented:
"I have a quick caveat to insert here, and that is, if you look at
cardiologists, you may find comparable rates of overexposures from the
procedures they
perform using x-ray producing machines. We tend to focus on the dangers of
radioactive materials, and forget the dangers of machine use. I believe
that this
is due, in part, to the fact that we have a comprehensive national program
to
address RAM use, but that radiation machine use is not so consistently nor
comprehensively regulated."
I would suggest that one reason the States don't spend as much of their
resources on issues related to machine sources as they should is because so
much of their time and energy is consumed trying to keep up with NRC's
ever-changing requirements for the RAM use programs.
I also think that the issue of "over-exposures" of patients during
interventional cardiology procedures is a sticky issue for health physicists
in that it is so convolved with the practice of medicine. I, for one, am
unwilling to wade into the question of what's best for the patient. That is
a purely medical decision and I'd like to keep it that way. When my turn
comes to be on the fluorotable, I don't want my cardiologist being
distracted by concerns about whether or not some regulator will approve of
his decisions.
Clayton J. Bradt, CHP
Principal Radiophysicist
NYS Dept. of Labor
Radiological Health Unit
voice: (518) 457-1202
fax: (518) 485-7406
e-mail: usccjb@labor.state.ny.us
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