Handling of Incidents in the Clinical Application of Ionizing Radiation in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology - a Multi-center Study.

Purpose: According to the German legislation and regulation of radiation protection, i. e. Strahlenschutzgesetz und Strahlenschutzverordnung (StrlSchG and StrlSchV), which came into force on 31 December 2018, significant unintended or accidential exposures have to be reported to the competent authority.

Effectiveness of Radiation Protection Caps for Lowering dose to the Brain and the Eye Lenses.

Purpose: This work was designed to study the effectiveness of radiation protection caps in lowering the dose to the brain and the eye lens during fluoroscopically guided interventions.

Materials And Methods: Two types of radiation protection caps were examined with regards to their capacity to lower the radiation dose. One cap is equipped with lateral flaps, the other one is not.

How to Measure/Calculate Radiation Dose in Patients?

Patients in fluoroscopically guided interventions (FGI) may be exposed to substantial radiation dose levels (SRDL). The most commonly reported adverse reactions are skin injuries with erythema or necrosis. It is therefore important for the interventional radiologist to know deterministic effects with their threshold doses.

Prenatal radiation exposure in diagnostic and interventional radiology.

Background:  The exposure of a pregnant woman to X-rays is an event that can cause uncertainty for all concerned. This review provides guidance on how to assess such a situation and how to determine the dose to the unborn child. In general, the use of X-rays in pregnant women in radiology should be avoided.

The new radiation protection framework since 2019 - Implementation in Germany and comparison of some aspects in seven European countries.

Purpose:  The implementation of EU Directive 2013/59 EURATOM (EU-BSS) of 2014 led to a reorganization of radiation protection legislation in Germany in the form of a new radiation protection law Strahlenschutzgesetz (StrlSchG) of 2017 and a new radiation protection ordinance Strahlenschutzverordnung (StrlSchV) of 2018. For application of ionizing radiation in medicine these changes affect radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy. A comparison between the old and the new legal system analyses changes that are relevant for diagnostic and interventional radiology.

Work and Training Conditions of German Residents in Radiology - Results from a Nationwide Survey Conducted by the Young Radiology Forum in the German Roentgen Society.

Purpose:  Good training is the basis for high job satisfaction and high-quality patient care in radiology. The aim of this survey was to record the current state of working conditions for residents in radiology training in Germany and to focus on the aspects of training and psychosocial workload. The description of the actual state should help to identify possible problem areas and to develop improvement approaches.

[What are the implications of the new radiation protection ordinance?].

The new regulatory basis in Germany for medical radiation protection ("Strahlenschutzverordnung" and "Strahlenschutzgesetz") went into effect on 31 December 2018 and has brought many changes. A system for record keeping and analysis of unintended exposures must be established and the occurrence of significant events must be reported to the competent authority. In the future, medical physics experts have to be consulted for equipment with high doses.

Transhepatic forceps biopsy after PTCD for histological assessment of bile duct stenoses or occlusions.

Purpose:  The goal of this study was to evaluate the experience of 11 years of wire-guided forceps biopsy via PTCD in patients with obstructive jaundice.

Materials And Methods:  In a retrospective approach, 56 biopsies in 51 patients were analyzed (22 female, 29 male). Data was collected from 2006 to 2016.

Whole-Body CT in Multiple Trauma Patients: Clinically Adapted Usage of Differently Weighted CT Protocols.

Purpose:  Whole-body CT (wbCT) has been established as an internationally accepted diagnostic modality in multiple trauma. Until 2011, a uniform CT scanning protocol was used for all multiple trauma patients (pat.) at our hospital (OLD protocol = OP).

Risk of Radiation-Induced Cataracts: Investigation of Radiation Exposure to the Eye Lens During Endourologic Procedures.

Background: Due to new radiobiologic data, the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends a dose limit of 20 mSv per year to the eye lens. Therefore, the IAEA International Basic Safety Standard and the European council directive 2013/59/EURATOM require a reduction of the annual dose limit from 150 to 20 mSv. Urologists are exposed to an elevated radiation exposure in the head region during fluoroscopic interventions, due to the commonly used overtable X-ray tubes and the rarely used radiation protection for the head.

[Certification guidelines and qualification courses].

German regulations require a license for using ionizing radiation in medicine. This license-called "Fachkunde"-varies for different medical procedures such as CT, fluoroscopy, radiography, or mammography. The required frequencies and training times also vary for different medical disciplines such as radiology, cardiology, vascular surgery, traumatology, nuclear medicine, and radiotherapy, among others.

Stent Implantation for Superior Vena Cava Syndrome of Malignant Cause.

 The purpose of this paper is the retrospective analysis of endovascular therapy for the treatment of superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) of malignant cause. This study focuses on the effectiveness of the therapy regarding the duration of remission, symptom control and practicability.  From January 2003 to November 2012, therapeutic implantation of one or more stents was performed in 141 patients suffering from SVCS.

[Radiation protection in interventional radiology].

The application of ionizing radiation in medicine seems to be a safe procedure for patients as well as for occupational exposition to personnel. The developments in interventional radiology with fluoroscopy and dose-intensive interventions require intensified radiation protection. It is recommended that all available tools should be used for this purpose.

Regulation of red fluorescent light emission in a cryptic marine fish.

Introduction: Animal colouration is a trade-off between being seen by intended, intra- or inter-specific receivers while not being seen by the unintended. Many fishes solve this problem by adaptive colouration. Here, we investigate whether this also holds for fluorescent pigments.

A fluorescent chromatophore changes the level of fluorescence in a reef fish.

Body coloration plays a major role in fish ecology and is predominantly generated using two principles: a) absorbance combined with reflection of the incoming light in pigment colors and b) scatter, refraction, diffraction and interference in structural colors. Poikilotherms, and especially fishes possess several cell types, so-called chromatophores, which employ either of these principles. Together, they generate the dynamic, multi-color patterns used in communication and camouflage.

A strategic development model for the role of the biomedical physicist in the education of healthcare professionals in Europe.

This is the third of a series of articles targeted at biomedical physicists providing educational services to other healthcare professions, whether in a university faculty of medicine/health sciences or otherwise (e.g., faculty of science, hospital-based medical physics department).

A comprehensive SWOT audit of the role of the biomedical physicist in the education of healthcare professionals in Europe.

Although biomedical physicists provide educational services to the healthcare professions in the majority of universities in Europe, their precise role with respect to the education of the healthcare professions has not been studied systematically. To address this issue we are conducting a research project to produce a strategic development model for the role using the well-established SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) methodology. SWOT based strategic planning is a two-step process: one first carries out a SWOT position audit and then uses the identified SWOT themes to construct the strategic development model.

[Medical radiation exposure and justification at a large teaching hospital: comparison of radiation-related and disease-related risks].

Purpose: The medical X-ray exposure was determined in a 2400-bed hospital. The radiation-related risk was compared with the severity of disease (ICD) to verify the justification for X-ray procedures. A model to estimate radiation and disease-related "loss of lifetime" was applied.

The role of the biomedical physicist in the education of the healthcare professions: an EFOMP project.

The role of the biomedical physicist in the education of the healthcare professions has not yet been studied in a systematic manner. This article presents the first results of an EFOMP project aimed at researching and developing this important component of the role of the biomedical physicist. A background to the study expands on the reasons that led to the need for the project.

[Compression of digital images in radiology - results of a consensus conference].

Purpose: Recommendations for lossy compression of digital radiological DICOM images in Germany by means of a consensus conference. The compression of digital radiological images was evaluated in many studies . Even though the results demonstrate full diagnostic image quality of modality-dependent compression between 1:5 and 1:200, there are only a few clinical applications.

Does habitual body avoidance and checking behavior influence the decrease of negative emotions during body exposure in eating disorders?

The aim of the present study was to assess whether habitual body avoidance and body-checking behavior influences the decrease of negative emotions during body exposure. Twenty-one eating-disordered female participants completed the Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire and the Body Checking Questionnaire. On another day, a 40-min body exposure session was conducted under standardized conditions.

Red fluorescence in reef fish: a novel signalling mechanism?

Background: At depths below 10 m, reefs are dominated by blue-green light because seawater selectively absorbs the longer, 'red' wavelengths beyond 600 nm from the downwelling sunlight. Consequently, the visual pigments of many reef fish are matched to shorter wavelengths, which are transmitted better by water. Combining the typically poor long-wavelength sensitivity of fish eyes with the presumed lack of ambient red light, red light is currently considered irrelevant for reef fish.

Look at yourself: can body image therapy affect the cognitive and emotional response to seeing oneself in the mirror in eating disorders?

The study examined whether the extent of negative body-related thoughts and emotions evoked by looking in a mirror can be changed by cognitive-behavioural body image therapy (BIT) and whether any remaining cognitive and affective responses dropped faster after the treatment. Females with eating disorders (n = 17) looked in a mirror for 40 minutes under standardised conditions before and after BIT. A control group (CG) (n = 24) was also exposed to their own bodies twice.

[Occupational exposure to radiation].

Since the discovery of X-rays, over exposures and radiation in juries have been reported in both patients and persons exposed in the course of their professional duties. Each year, more than 2,500 million diagnostic radiological examinations, 32 million nuclear medicine examinations or treatment procedures and 5.5 million radiotherapy sessions are performed world wide.