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| New white paper supplement available for download |
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| Study on neuropsychological effects of occupational radiation exposure |
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| Healthy Cath Lab Study exposes new occupational risks for cath lab workers |
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| VIDEO: Career Exposure in the Cath Lab |
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| NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION RAISES AWARENESS OF HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INTERVENTIONAL FLUOROSCOPY LABS |
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| The Organization for Occupational Radiation Safety in Interventional Fluoroscopy (ORSIF) is a non-profit association created to generate awareness of the potential serious health risks, including cancer and career-threatening orthopedic problems, linked to the use of fluoroscopy in hospital catheterization labs and outpatient radiographic diagnostic laboratories. ORSIF raises awareness of these dangers and focuses on advocating for better safety measures to protect the physicians and staff that work in these labs. |
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| ARTICLES HIGHLIGHTING OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS IN THE FLUOROSCOPY LABORATORY |
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Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation in Interventional Fluoroscopy: Severity of Adverse Effects of a Growing Health Problem
White Paper Supplement
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In February 2015, ORSIF released a white paper detailing scientific data on health consequences for medical professionals faced with chronic exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation. |
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Since the issuance of ORSIF's report, there has been growing awareness of occupational hazards—and interest in reducing risks as evidenced by the increase in the number of scientific publications on these topics. |
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In 2015, there were approximately 45 scientific papers on occupational hazards or methods to reduce operator exposure to scatter radiation, more than double the number published in 2014. |
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ORSIF's supplement summarizes new clinical findings and provides an overview of various methods being investigated to enhance radiation protection for interventionalists. |
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J Int Neuropsychol Soc.:
Neuropsychological Testing in Interventional Cardiology Staff after Long-Term Exposure to Ionizing Radiation |
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Study evaluated the consequences of chronic exposure to ionizing radiation on cognitive function for interventional physicians/personnel (n=83) compared to a control group of non-interventional medical personnel (n=83). |
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Study participants were given 12 neuropsychological tests that examined short- and long-term memory. |
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The interventional group showed lower scores on verbal long-term memory and fluency—left hemisphere activities—as well as short-term visual memory, which involves input from the posterior hippocampus. |
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| Healthy Cath Lab Study Exposes New Occupational Risks for Cath Lab Workers |
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Researchers compared 466 hospital staff exposed to radiation (min. 10 years) to 280 non-exposed hospital staff. |
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8% of cath lab workers had experienced skin lesions (P=0.002); 30% had an orthopedic illness (P < 0.001) and 5% had cataracts (P=0.003), compared to 2%, 5% and less than 1% of the unexposed group, respectively. |
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Physicians were at higher risk for health issues than nurses or technicians, and risk was higher among those who had been working more than 16 years. |
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| VIDEO: Career Exposure in the Cath Lab |
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| On a daily basis, the radiation exposure levels for healthcare professionals in the catheterization lab may not seem like much. However, over the course of a career that cumulative exposure can have devastating effects. We recently released a video to show just how much exposure interventional teams face over their careers. Watch the video below and share this with your colleagues and friends working in interventional fluoroscopy.
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5335 Wisconsin Ave NW
Suite 660
Washington, DC 20015
Phone: (800) 847-1425 |
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| 2016 © Organization for Occupational Radiation Safety in Interventional Fluoroscopy. All rights reserved. |
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| VIEW WEB VERSION |
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