1 2 0
O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | M A R C H 2 0 1 4
the patient's skin. "You want to have the radiation source as far
away from the patient as possible, and the area you're imaging
closer to the detector," says Garrick Cason, MD, an orthopedic
surgeon and clinical instructor at the University of Tennessee at
Chattanooga. This can also produce higher-quality images.
"Position the beam perpendicular to the place you want to
image," says Dr. Cason, "and avoid steep angles. Those cross
through more of the body," causing the device to deliver more
radiation.
3. C-arm settings
"Every hospital I've ever been in practices ALARA — 'as low as
reasonably achievable,'" says Dr. Cason. "That's the mantra of
everyone who's par-
ticipated in a radia-
tion safety program."
Common C-arm set-
tings can optimize
radiation doses to
deliver quality images
from the lowest
amounts.
Collimation nar-
rows the beam and
limits the size of the
field, reducing expo-
sure. "You should col-
limate to just the part
that you want to see,"
says Dr. Morin. "A
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