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ARE XRAYS DANGEROUS ?

First broadcast on www.provet.co.uk  


This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only.

You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

When taking XRays precautions have to be taken to protect the operator of the equipment (radiographers) and patients. Pregnant women are not allowed into XRay rooms during the procedure..so are XRay dangerous for animals ?

The short answer to the question "Are XRays Dangerous ?" is - YES they are !

However, this needs to be qualified because the risk to patients is small and exposure to low amounts of X-radiation is probably not going to cause you or your animals any harm whatsoever. On the other hand the Radiation Protection Legislation that is in force in most countries of the World has been developed to minimise the risks associated with exposure to XRays.

XRays are a form of high energy, high frequency, short wavelength  radiation which can not be seen. XRays travel in straight lines and they cannot be felt if they hit you. They pass through soft tissues quite easily, but they are absorbed by dense materials such as bone. XRays can be deflected by objects in their path  - so personnel standing in a room away from the main (primary) beam from an XRay machine can still be exposed to this deflected radiation.

X-radiation is not the same as radioactivity and radiations associated with the nuclear industry or nuclear medicine - exposure to the latter are much  more damaging to health.

The dangers associated with XRays are due to changes that can occur in tissue cells following exposure. There are 3 basic types of change :

  1. Damage to cells stopping normal function. This is most often in active tissues - eg sex organs, the formative stages of skin and blood cells, tissues in young growing people and animals, and the growing cells of a fetus.
  2. Carcinogenic effect - tissues exposed to XRays have a higher risk of developing cancer later
  3. Genetic changes can occur in male and female sex cells resulting in genetic defects

These changes can occur following a single high dose exposure to XRays, or they can be caused over a long period of time by the accumulated effect of multiple, relatively low-dose exposures. Some of these effects may not be seen for years after exposure of the tissues to the XRays.

As a result, Legislation is intended to minimise exposure to XRays as much as possible, and for personnel involved in taking XRays there is a maximum permissible exposure. This is monitored using small radiation detection badges - which your veterinary practice staff wear all the time.

During the taking of XRays it is normal practice to protect the area of the testicles or ovaries by covering the patient with a lead shield (XRays cannot pass through lead), and personnel involved in taking XRays wear protective gowns and stand behind lead-lined walls.

Fortunately veterinary patients individually are exposed to very few XRays during their lifetime, so despite the potential risks, the chances of them developing disease as a result is extremely remote. 

 

Last updated October 2013