Biomaterial Database

Retrospective evaluation of exposure indicators: a pilot study of exposure technique in digital radiography. 2019

Shantel Lewis, and Tracey Pieterse, and Heather Lawrence

Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

BACKGROUND Digital radiography lacks visual clues of exposure techniques used to obtain radiographs, therefore manufacturers have included exposure indicators (EIs). EIs provides feedback about exposure techniques used and evaluating EIs will yield much needed information about exposure trends used in digital radiography. METHODS A retrospective explorative quantitative study was conducted at nine randomly selected imaging departments in Gauteng, South Africa. Data pertaining to EI was retrospectively collected using quota sampling and compared to manufacturer recommended (MR) standards. RESULTS A total of 1422 EIs were collected. 50% of these were within the MR standard. 27% of EI indicated overexposure and 23% indicated underexposure. CONCLUSIONS Greater evidence of overexposure was noted in the retrospective analysis of the EI. This pilot study shows the need for further investigation into exposure technique practices in digital radiography and the need for measures to halt the evidenced overexposure.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011829	Radiation Dosage	The amount of radiation energy that is deposited in a unit mass of material, such as tissues of plants or animal. In RADIOTHERAPY, radiation dosage is expressed in gray units (Gy). In RADIOLOGIC HEALTH, the dosage is expressed by the product of absorbed dose (Gy) and quality factor (a function of linear energy transfer), and is called radiation dose equivalent in sievert units (Sv).	Sievert Units,Dosage, Radiation,Gray Units,Gy Radiation,Sv Radiation Dose Equivalent,Dosages, Radiation,Radiation Dosages,Units, Gray,Units, Sievert
D011856	Radiographic Image Enhancement	Improvement in the quality of an x-ray image by use of an intensifying screen, tube, or filter and by optimum exposure techniques. Digital processing methods are often employed.	Digital Radiography,Image Enhancement, Radiographic,Radiography, Digital,Enhancement, Radiographic Image,Enhancements, Radiographic Image,Image Enhancements, Radiographic,Radiographic Image Enhancements
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000069079	Radiation Exposure	Phenomenon in which organisms are subjected to radiation.	Exposure, Radiation
D012189	Retrospective Studies	Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons.	Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective