ABSTRACT
The aims of this study are (1) to determine the scattered radiation dose levels in routine fluoroscopy procedures and (2) to compare them with the equivalent chest x-rays and also (3) to monitor common techniques and radiation safety measures taken by the medical officers. The study covered a sample of 105 fluoroscopic procedures performed by 18 medical officers. Each officer wore a personal pocket dosimeter inside the lead gown during each procedure. A digital dosimeter was placed near the detector of the fluoroscopy unit while a survey meter was positioned at the control panel area to record the dose levels. There were 14 types of examination included in this study. The total number of images captured was found to be the highest in barium swallow examination with 115 images, almost five times higher compared to the common practices. The longest screening time was observed in barium enema examination which is 9.15 seconds. The median of the scattered dose level was the highest in barium meal examination (165.50 μSv) which is equivalent to 8.28 times of average dose impart by chest x-ray examinations. The number of images and the length of screening time depend on the competency levels of the medical officers. They capture as many images as possible to avoid missing any abnormalities, therefore it will always be better if the fluoroscopist is consulted during each case. They should also consistently practice essential protection by minimizing exposure time, maximizing distance from the source tube and utilizing the radiation shielding.
Subject(s)
Fluoroscopy , Radiation DosageABSTRACT
Neurotoxicants present in water supply may affect human functions in terms of attention, response speed and perceptual motor speed. Neurobehavioural performance can be influenced by gender, age and education levels. This study aims to assess the neurobehavioral performance of palm oil estate residents with private water supply in southern Peninsular of Malaysia. A total of 287 and 246 participants from estates with private [PWS] and public water supply [PUB] were recruited to complete a demographic and subjective symptom questionnaire followed by the Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery [NCTB]. PWS participants who consumed privately-treated water performed poorly in all NCTB tests compared to PUB participants except for Santa Ana test. Significant group differences in neurobehavioral performance were found for Digit Span Backward [P=0.047], Benton Visual Retention [P=0.006] and Trail Making B tests [P<0.05]; which measures the function of memory, attention and visual perception-conceptual. Gender, age and years of education influenced the NCTB scores [P<0.05]. Female participants performed poorly in tests measuring latency but excellently tackled those tests that determined association. Younger participants from both PWS and PUB performed better on NCTB tests when compared to other age groups [P<0.05]. PWS and PUB participants in this study who received a longer duration of education excelled in the NCTB tests [P=0.000]. Poor neurobehavioral performance is associated with low water supply quality which affects neurofunctions in terms of attention, memory, response and perceptual motor speed