i heard that digital radiography is better than x rays in terms of safety

can anyone tell me just how much safer digital radiography is?
what is the EMF reading that it gives off?
can you compare it to x rays ,cell phones, wifi or just the EMF that a regular computer gives off?

i'm posting it here instead of in the OT forum because i'm hoping more people will read it and can give me some pointers

its kinda important



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2011 06:50AM by la_veronique.

The difference between digital radiography and film-screen radiography is the way the images are captured.

Today, many hospitals and imaging centers have moved away from using x-ray film and instead capture the images digitally, not unlike digital cameras versus the old cameras that used film.

In some respects, digital radiography is less radiation dose because the images can be post-processed meaning that if the film is too dark or too light, the radiologist can manipulate the images on the computer rather than re-take the x-ray (which is what was done when the images were captured on film...more repeat x-rays = more dose to the patient).

I encourage you to address your concerns to your doctor and the imaging center~

What great questions! I just started a radiography program in September. And what rad gal said is correct. Digital vs. screen film is a different media, each still use xrays. I am learning that imaging sciences have come a LONG way since 1895 when xrays were discovered.

It sounds like you are looking for are BERT numbers, which is a way to compare the amount of ionizing radiation dosed received from an imaging procedure. Bert compares an image dose to Background Equivalent Radition Time. Or how much an image dose compares to what is received from the earth, cosmic rays and other natural sources. And YES there are natural sources of ionizing radiation.

And yes, its probably best to ask questions to your healthcare provider and imaging center, as ALARA standards very from location to location for each imaging procedure.

As for the second set of questions, its very difficult to compare x-rays to radio waves or magnetic energy. Xrays are ionizing, radio waves, magnetic energy and visible light are not. Xrays are very high energy, high frequency, radio waves are very low energy and low frequency. Visible light, and is somewhere in towards the middle.

I found this webpage, it might be helpful for you. It seems reasonable, as one can calculate doses from all sources to give you some idea of how much you might be getting per year. But I don't know what it all means yet. Your elevation where you live will make an impact, how often you fly are in the chart.

After starting the program I realized that I never considered flying as getting an increased dose of radiation, or hiking in the mountains. Or living in high or low latitudes on earth could increase mrem.
[www.new.ans.org]

hi rad gal and mislu

thanks very much for the leads and pointers of what to consider

will be doing more research
any other info is apreciated!

at my dentist he used some kind of laser radiography and the dentist doesn't even go out of the room for it - apparently uses only a very small amount of the radiation of the conventional type.

Hi La V.

I don't know much about xrays, but just wanted to say good luck, and I hope you and yours are OK.