title: Physician and nurse knowledge about patient radiation exposure in the emergency department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Imaging methods that use ionizing radiation in emergency departments (EDs) have increased with advances in radiological diagnostic methods. Physician and nurse awareness of the radiation dose in the ED and the associated cancer risks to which the patients are exposed were surveyed with a questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 191 subjects in six EDs participated in this study. ED physicians and ED nurses were asked about the risks and the radiation doses of imaging methods ordered in the ED. The differences between the two groups were compared using Student's t-test for continuous variables. A Fisher's exact and Chi-squared tests were used for categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 82 ED physicians and 109 ED nurses completed the questionnaire; 38 (46.3%) physicians and 8 (7.3%) nurses correctly answered the question about the chest X-ray radiation dose. A question about the number of chest X-rays that is equivalent to the dose of a pelvic X-ray was answered correctly by 5 (6.1%) physicians and 9 (8.3%) nurses (P = 0.571). Questions regarding abdominal computed tomography (CT), chest CT, brain CT, abdominal ultrasonography, and brain magnetic resonance imaging were answered correctly more frequently by the physician group than the nurse group (P < 0.05). The risk of developing cancer over a lifetime due to a brain CT was correctly answered by 21 (25.6%) physicians and 30 (27.5%) nurses (P = 0.170). A similar question regarding abdominal CT was correctly answered by 21 (25.6%) physicians and 42 (38.5%) nurses (P = 0.127).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of the radiation exposure of radiology examinations was lower in nurses than physicians, but knowledge was poor in both groups. ED physicians and nurses should be educated about radiation exposure and cancer risks associated with various diagnostic radiological methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Seol
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wee
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea,Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Kyong
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000009:adverse effects; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000009:adverse effects; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000009:adverse effects