Re: population exposure

["J. J. Rozental" <josrozen@netmedia.net.il>]

Dear David,

	National and International Organization emphasize that Medical Exposure
shall be subject to the justification and optimization parts of dose
limitation, i.e.  the use of radiation for medical purposes  shall be
avoided unless justified and the  protection shall be optimized so that
irradiation of the patient is as low as reasonably achievable and consistent
with the desired results.
Justification also apply to systematic examination. Periodic radiological
examinations undertaken without reference to clinical indications in the
individual case shall be subject to a justification assessment relative to
the useful information obtained and the importance of this information for
the individual's health. 

In my understanding  there is a need to  improve the knowledge base on
radiation matters in the medical  professions.  Also an specific training
requirement needs to be identified  for public health physicians, who have a
key role in allaying public anxiety, and for accident and emergency
personnel who may need to deal with patients who have been accidentally
irradiated or contaminated.

J. J. Rozental
josrozen@netmedia.net.il
Israel
 



At 03:36 PM 6/29/99 -0500, you wrote:
>
>
>Could someone explain to me why so much physicist effort, at 
>least in the United States, is devoted to controlling occupational 
>exposure to ionizing radiation while so little is directed toward 
>reducing medical (including dental) exposure?  The physicist 
>involvement and the amount of population exposure from these two 
>sources seem to be inversely correlated.  Maybe the real question 
>is, why do the physicists seem to be so passive in the diagnostic 
>medical environment?  Are all of the imaging procedures needed?  
>Are all of the individual images necessary within each procedure.  
>Could the technique be changed to reduce exposure?
>
>Physicists seem awfully pushy in controlling occupational 
>exposure to be so easy on the unnecessary medical exposure.
>
>This question is asked from the perspective of a physician who 
>practices both Radiology and Occupational Medicine (Board 
>certified in both).
>
>Thanks.
>
>***********
>
>David Adcock
>University of South Carolina
>Columbia, SC  29208
>803 733 3295
>  
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>
jjrozental

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