The Safe Use of Fluoroscopy


The State of Ohio requires that persons who are likely to receive more than 100 mrem of radiation from fluoroscopy must receive two hours of training related to radiation safety aspects of fluoroscopy. Successful completion of this test serves as proof of that training. A passing score is 80% (eight questions answered correctly) or greater.

1.  What is the largest source of exposure to personnel working near a fluoroscope?

A. Radiation leaking from the X-ray head.
B. The direct X-ray beam.
C. Radiation scattering off the patient.
D. Cosmic rays and other natural sources of radiation.

2.  Which part of a cell is radiation most likely to affect?

A. The membrane
B. The DNA
C. The cytoplasm
D. The agranular endoplasmic reticulum

3.  Why is the skin most likely to be damaged during fluoroscopy?

A. Skin cells divide more rapidly than any other kind of cell.
B. The skin receives the majority of the energy.
C. Skin has a bipolar mechanism.
D. The energy from radiation penetrates deep into internal organs.

4.  Why are skin burns from fluoroscopy hard to detect during a procedure?

A. There is no sensation of burning at the time of exposure.
B. A visible burn does not appear until sometime later.
C. It takes a long time to deliver enough energy to burn the skin.
D. All of the above.

5.  Which of these contributes unnecessarily to patient dose?

A. Moving the II to many different positions.
B. Standing on the pedal while trying to decide what to do next.
C. Increasing the kV and decreasing the tube current.
D. Refusing to use magnification.

6.  Which of these does not reduce your exposure during a fluoro procedure?

A. Wearing a film badge.
B. Standing away from the beam.
C. Wearing a lead vest.
D. Limiting the amount of time the beam is actually on.

7.  How do you know how much exposure you've gotten in a month?

A. Wear a film badge.
B. The nurse will tell you.
C. If you feel okay you haven't been exposed.
D. Use the rule of thumb - when your thumbs turn black and fall off you've gotten too much exposure.

8.  What is the typical energy range of X-rays used in fluoroscopy?

A. 0 - 50 keV
B. 50 - 150 keV
C. 500 - 1000 keV
D. 1 - 25 MeV

9.  A doctor is working 1 ft away from a patient under fluoroscopy. She steps back to 3 ft away. What happens to her exposure rate?

A. It decreases by a factor of 9.
B. It decreases by a factor of 4.
C. It increases by a factor of 4.
D. It increases by a factor of 9.

10.  What is the radiation dose to the patient?

A. The time the fluoroscope is actually operating.
B. The energy (in the form of radiation) absorbed by the patient.
C. The average kilovoltage used throughout a fluoroscopic exam.
D. The amount of anesthesia required during a fluoroscopic exam.