RE: Occupational vs. Medical Exposures

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

With respect to nuclear medicine procedures, the NRC has interjected 
themselves into regulating the dose received by the patient, due to 
the procedure performed. surface exposure rates from fluro units have 
been regulated for some time, but not the overall dose the patient 
actually is exposed to. I suspect that this too will change. There is 
a definite move in the regulatory arena to minimize dose that 
patients currently receive. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing, 
depending on your perspective. On the one hand minimizing unnecessary 
exposure is ideal, yet I wouldn't want my physician's hands being 
tied as to what procedures, or how much dose he/she believes to be 
necessary. In my opinion the best way to reduce dose is to require 
that ALL individuals who "irradiate" a patient, either from nuclear 
medicine, or radiology, be trained, and be knowledgeable regarding 
what they are working with, and, what the associated exposure and 
resultant dose the patient actually receives. If the physician can't 
fathom what they are exposing the patient to, then they should not be 
giving the patient an "unknown" dose.


Sandy Perle
E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205

"The object of opening the mind, as of opening 
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -
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