Use of ionizing radiation in a Norwegian cohort of children with congenital heart disease: imaging frequency and radiation dose for the Health Effects of Cardiac Fluoroscopy and Modern Radiotherapy in Pediatrics (HARMONIC) study.

Background: The European-funded Health Effects of Cardiac Fluoroscopy and Modern Radiotherapy in Pediatrics (HARMONIC) project is a multicenter cohort study assessing the long-term effects of ionizing radiation in patients with congenital heart disease. Knowledge is lacking regarding the use of ionizing radiation from sources other than cardiac catheterization in this cohort.

Objective: This study aims to assess imaging frequency and radiation dose (excluding cardiac catheterization) to patients from a single center participating in the Norwegian HARMONIC project.

The value of referral information and assessment - a cross sectional study of radiographers' perceptions.

Background: Radiology professionals are frequently confronted with referrals containing insufficient clinical information, which hinders delivery of safe and quality medical imaging services. There is however lack of knowledge on why and how referral information is important for radiographers in clinical practice. This study explores what purposes referral information is used/ useful for the radiographers, and the benefits of involving them in assessing referrals.

Radiographers' actions and challenges when confronted with inappropriate radiology referrals.

Objectives: To explore radiographers' actions toward inappropriate referrals and hindrances to assessing referrals.

Methods: An online survey was distributed to radiographers via the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists (ISRRT) networks. The questionnaire consisted of 5-point Likert scale questions on radiographers' actions to supplement referral information, actions for unjustified referrals and hindrances to referral assessment.

Dose Estimation for the European Epidemiological Study on Pediatric Computed Tomography (EPI-CT).

Within the European Epidemiological Study to Quantify Risks for Paediatric Computerized Tomography (EPI-CT study), a cohort was assembled comprising nearly one million children, adolescents and young adults who received over 1.4 million computed tomography (CT) examinations before 22 years of age in nine European countries from the late 1970s to 2014. Here we describe the methods used for, and the results of, organ dose estimations from CT scanning for the EPI-CT cohort members.

Impact of mobile radiography services in nursing homes on the utilisation of diagnostic imaging procedures.

Background: In the last decade, mobile radiography services have been introduced in nursing homes in several countries. Earlier research found an underutilisation of diagnostic imaging among nursing home residents. However, the effects of introducing mobile radiography services on the use of diagnostic imaging are unknown.

Cost analysis of mobile radiography services for nursing home residents in Southeast Norway.

Rationale, Aims, And Objective: Telemedicine applications, such as a mobile radiography service, provide a new way of organizing healthcare services. In order to provide safe and personalised care for nursing home residents during X-ray examinations, mobile radiography services have been implemented. The objective of this study was to analyse the costs of X-ray examinations and treatments for nursing home residents when comparing hospital-based imaging with a combination of hospital-based imaging and a mobile radiography service in Southeast Norway.

Managers' experience of success criteria and barriers to implementing mobile radiography services in nursing homes in Norway: a qualitative study.

Background: In order to meet the future challenges posed by ageing populations, new technology, telemedicine and a more personalized healthcare system are needed. Earlier research has shown mobile radiography services to be highly beneficial for nursing home residents in addition to being cost-effective. Despite the benefits, mobile radiography services are uncommon in Europe and Norway.

Radiation exposure in patients treated with endovascular aneurysm repair: what is the risk of cancer, and can we justify treating younger patients?

Background Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is becoming the mainstay treatment of abdominal aortic aneurisms (AAA). The postoperative follow-up regime includes a lifelong series of CT angiograms (CTAs) at different intervals in addition to EVAR, which will confer significant cumulative radiation exposure over time. Purpose To examine the impact of age and follow-up regime over time on cumulative radiation exposure and attributable cancer risk after EVAR.

Reconstruction of paediatric organ doses from axial CT scans performed in the 1990s - range of doses as input to uncertainty estimates.

Objective: To assess the range of doses in paediatric CT scans conducted in the 1990s in Norway as input to an international epidemiology study: the EPI-CT study, http://epi-ct.iarc.fr/ .

The risk of radiation-induced breast cancers due to biennial mammographic screening in women aged 50-69 years is minimal.

Background: The main aim of mammographic screening is to reduce the mortality from breast cancer. However, use of ionizing radiation is considered a potential harm due to the possible risk of inducing cancer in healthy women.

Purpose: To estimate the potential number of radiation-induced breast cancers, radiation-induced breast cancer deaths, and lives saved due to implementation of organized mammographic screening as performed in Norway.

Assessing organ doses from paediatric CT scans--a novel approach for an epidemiology study (the EPI-CT study).

The increasing worldwide use of paediatric computed tomography (CT) has led to increasing concerns regarding the subsequent effects of exposure to radiation. In response to this concern, the international EPI-CT project was developed to study the risk of cancer in a large multi-country cohort. In radiation epidemiology, accurate estimates of organ-specific doses are essential.

Interphantom and interscanner variations for Hounsfield units--establishment of reference values for HU in a commercial QA phantom.

In computer tomography (CT) diagnostics, the measured Hounsfield units (HU) are used to characterize tissue and are in that respect compared to nominal HU values found in the radiological literature. Quality assurance (QA) phantoms are commercially available with a variety of tissue substitutes and materials to test the HU values in CT. It is however recognized from CT physics that the HU for a given material is energy dependent and may vary substantially between scanners.

Diagnostic radiology in Norway trends in examination frequency and collective effective dose.

The objective of the present work was to determine current levels and recent nationwide trends in radiological examination frequency, as well as to update corresponding collective effective dose estimates. Examination frequencies were obtained from radiology management systems at all hospitals and private radiology enterprises across Norway in terms of number of examination codes. During the last decade, the overall examination frequency increased by 16% to 910 per 1000 inhabitants, excluding nuclear imaging and dental radiology.

Shift in imaging modalities of the urinary tract over a 25-year period and its impact on ionizing radiation doses given to patients.

Objectives: To explore the shift in imaging modalities used when examining the urinary tract over the period 1979-2003 and to see how this shift, together with a radiation protection policy, have influenced the doses of ionizing radiation used.

Material And Methods: Activity reports from a department of radiology were reviewed. Relevant radiation dose estimates were obtained from the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority.

Shift in imaging modalities of gastrointestinal tract through 25 years and its impact on patient ionizing radiation doses.

We wanted to explore the shift in modalities when diagnosing the gastrointestinal tract through the last three decades and see how this has influenced on the radiation doses given to this patient population. Activity reports from a central hospital in the years of 1979-2003 have been reviewed. The x-ray based modalities have decreased, while there has been a marked increase in colonoscopies, gastroscopies, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography.

Shift in imaging modalities of the spine through 25 years and its impact on patient ionizing radiation doses.

Study Design: Retrospective.

Objective: To explore the shift in modalities when diagnosing the spine in the years 1979-2003. To see how this shift, together with a radiation protective policy, have influenced on the ionizing radiation doses.