title: Educating staff about digital radiography.
abstract: Radiation dose has been and continues to be the topic of mainstream media. Radiation accidents specific to ionizing radiation have prompted significant changes in legislation and prompted The Joint Commission to issue a Sentinel Event Alert, issue 47. Radiology professionals at every level have the opportunity to be better informed about the use of digital equipment in order to maximize image quality and minimize patient dose. Optimum kV's and lower mAs are discussed, as well as exposure index numbers and legal risk of post image digital processing. Overexposure of a patient is possible with no warning signs even with a diagnostic quality image. Exposure techniques, which were tested on anatomical phantoms provided by the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula in California, established the foundation to develop universal digital technique charts.
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bowman
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release / Q000517:prevention & control; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*