~~Rock-elle~~and X-Ray question ???

kmb585

Hi!

I saw on your poll questionnaire that you work in Pediatric Radiology.  I have a question for you about X-rays and being pregnant.  I work as a Speech Therapist in a couple different hospitals (mostly w/ adults) and very frequently we have to do MBS (Modified Barium Swallows).  There is 1 hospital I work at where I am the only one there so if a MBS gets ordered I would be the one to have to do it.  I am filling in for a girl who is on maternity leave and the rad-techs said that she just wore "double lead" while in the 1st trimester.  I wanted to see what you thought on the subject???  (I will also ask my OB to see what she thinks.  With DS it was never an issue b/c when I am at my "main" hospital there are 12 other speech therapists so I always had someone to help me out.)

TIA!!!

rock-elle

When I got my first BFP I pulled out the old textbooks to refer to the professionals, the most common practice to be doubly sure if you truly are expecting is to indeed wear two lead aprons.  That being mentioned the profession don't jump to that theory because sometimes wearing two lead aprons could cause excess stress on your back and sometimes cause damage  (to your back) if not worn properly and and if worn for a long amount of time (more than the lenth of your average MBS.

Radiation is most dangerous to a pg woman in the organogenesis phase of the preganancy, as is when all of the organs are being formed and in the first stages of of pg (the first few weeks) radiation acts as an all of nothing response.  If you were to receive a large dose directly to your abdominal are (think a abdomen CT or two) a teratogenic effect could occurr.

When you work around radiation, there are very safe ways to do it, even when you are pg.  Our job safety is rated at the same amount of risk as an office workers risk is, minimal.

ETA: Spelling

kmb585

Thanks for the response.  Luckily with the adult population the average flouro time is <1 min and total time for MBS ~10 min, so wearing double lead for that amount of time shouldn't be too harmful on my back. 

I will definitely check w/ my OB and hope that we will both be wearing double lead soon!!!!!

ala_1220

I'm a RN in pediatric radiology and I've been told you get more radiation standing outside than being around x-rays...is that true Rock-elle? I just always wear an apron, and I might start wearing 2 just to be safe.

rock-elle

actually it is fairly true, it depends on what type of exam is being done, but yes one adult chest xray is roughly equivalent to being out in the sun for the day.  The type of radiation from the sun and radon from the basements is the same type of radiation as medical xrays.  The closer you are to each, the more radiation dose is received.

I used to joke with DH when we were first TTC I would get him a mini lead apron for when he was in the airplane (he's a pilot and flies a lot) as your absorbed dose is higher the closer to the sun you get that I didn't want it to kill all of his swimmers (LOL)

Therefore it can be true that your skin will absorb more radiation from being outside than being in the room while a regular xray is being taken provided you are not the patient.