fff >From: HHask@... >To: Mamemoms@... >Subject: Doctors Often Cause Needless Radiation Burns - UN >Date: Sun, 9 May 2004 08:57:44 EDT > >Doctors Often Cause Needless Radiation Burns - UN > >Fri May 7, 9:51 AM ET > >By Louis Charbonneau VIENNA (Reuters) - Radiology specialists at the U.N. >nuclear agency said on Friday patients worldwide suffer needlessly from radiation >burns because cardiologists and other doctors lack training in using >radiation. > >Doctors attending a two-day conference at the headquarters of the >International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were learning ways to prevent, recognize and >treat radiation burns caused during cardiological procedures like angioplasty, >in which a tube is passed through blood vessels to open blocked arteries. > >This common procedure and others like it require constant monitoring with >x-rays, which results in radiation exposure that is around a thousand times more >than a standard chest x-ray. > >"Most cardiologists have no idea the procedures they perform can cause severe >and extremely painful radiation injuries," Louis Wagner, professor of >radiological physics at the University of Texas, told participants at the conference. > > >Four experts spoke to reporters about the problem, which they said could be >solved by heightened awareness and training programs. They agreed it was >surprising that many medical doctors were so naive about the dangers of radiation. > >"It is shocking, but it is a fact," said IAEA radiation safety specialist, Dr >Madan Rehani. "X-rays have been used in this way safely for decades, so they >think it's safe." > >There are no worldwide statistics on the numbers of burns caused from this >procedure but about one case per month is turning up in U.S. courts. The doctors >gave a rough estimate of one severe burn in 10,000 procedures. > >The doctors said there are around one million angioplasty procedures >performed worldwide every year. > >"It is reasonable to assume that these injuries are occurring in other parts >of the world (outside the U.S.)," Rehani said, adding that many cases probably >went unreported. > >OBESITY INCREASES BURN RISK > >Cardiologists prefer angioplasty over open-heart surgery to unblock clogged >arteries in the heart, because it is a simple procedure and patients can leave >the hospital the next day. Rehani said radiation burns are most frequent in >obese people because a higher-dose x-ray beam is required to monitor the >patients. > >Radiation burns usually begin as a rash that appears a few days or weeks at >the spot where the x-ray was focused. Depending on the severity of the >radiation dose, hair loss could occur or the rash can develop into a painfully sore >ulcer, which requires surgery and skin grafts. > >"There is also a definite increase in the probability of radiation-induced >cancer, particularly when such procedures are performed on small children," >Rehani said. > >He said doctors can reduce the number of burns by screening patients to find >out if they have had a recent angioplasty and if they are "radiologically >sensitive." During procedures, one should avoid focusing the x-ray on any spot for >too long. Finally, doctors need to recognize the symptoms of burns and ensure >patients have proper follow-up examinations. > >The doctors said nuclear applications in medicine are becoming increasingly >common and account for over 90 percent of all the radioactive exposure people >encounter.