There are many different medical fields that benefit from doing on-site x-rays. Even chiropractors and general practitioners are recognizing the advantage of getting an instant diagnosis. If you have been holding off on getting veterinary x-ray equipment out of fear or anxiety about the harmful effects of ionizing radiation, it is important to learn about how to use them properly to reduce the potential risks.
The first thing to know is to choose your veterinary x-ray equipment wisely, have it set up properly, and be trained in the features it has to offer. While you can save money with refurbished veterinary equipment in some cases, you might not want to go that route with veterinary x-ray equipment if you want complete peace of mind.
The next thing to share with your staff is that small amounts of exposure are not generally believed to be harmful. Just living here on earth exposes us to a certain amount of radiation, so if small amounts were harmful, we would all be walking around with serious mutations and cancer. This is not to say that you should conduct x-rays constantly without reducing your exposure, as the The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) guidelines recommend staying below 5000mrem per year. To put that in perspective, we get roughly 360mrem through everyday life.
Speaking of reducing exposure, there are three things to consider. The first is using the shortest exposure time needed for the situation and not doing multiple repeats. The second is staying as far away from the area as possible. The third is to use proper shielding, such as lead aprons, thyroid shields, and lead gloves.
If after relaying this information with your staff, you are ready to add veterinary x-ray equipment to your clinic, so reach out to us at Georgian Anesthesia and Medical Corp. We offer a variety of options and can help you select the unit that would best suit your needs.