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Valley Radiologists encourages the public to be informed when making health care decisions. Many radiology exams utilize radiation which should be considered in determining proper care for an adult or child. Valley Radiologists monitors its radiation doses based on physicist recommendations and guidelines established by the American College of Radiology. The practice is also committed to using only the latest technology and proper shielding to reduce radiation exposure. | 
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A variety of radiology examinations utilize radiation to capture images. These studies include:
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Common exams that do not use radiation include:
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Most often, radiologists can lower radiation doses when performing an exam on a child based on their weight. Because children are smaller than adults, it takes less radiation to penetrate their body and generate quality images. For example, the radiation dose for a CT exam on a child can be reduced by 5 times that used on an adult. Members of the Society for Pediatric Radiology have worked with the American College of Radiology to provide radiologists clinical guidelines for imaging children. Valley Radiologists operate under these strict guidelines and are specially trained to limit radiation exposure. The practice is also pleased to be the first group in the area to use new CT radiation shield absorbers. These radiation shields cut down the amount of radiation exposure by 40% - 60%. Three types of shields have been created to limit radiation absorbed by the eyes, thyroid, and breast tissue during CT examinations. Each shield is crafted to fit these specific body parts, eliminating artifacts that may disrupt the clarity of the images. |
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Patients are encouraged to ask physicians about alternative methods of diagnosis that do not use radiation such as ultrasound or MRI. However, there are many situations in which CT or x-ray is the only or far superior way to obtain the information needed. In such cases, Valley Radiologists believes the benefit of the exam far out weighs the minimal risk associated with radiation. Please refer to the article "Radiation Exposure in X-Ray Examinations" for more detailed information. |
