What are the new requirements for fluoroscopic x-ray equipment?
Equipment manufactured after the effective date of the amendments will need to include: • displays of the duration, rate, and cumulative amount of radiation exposure patients receive. • increased x-ray filtration (on certain types of equipment) to reduce the possibility of radiation injuries during long procedures. • tighter controls on the size of the x-ray field to reduce the amount of radiation that falls outside the image target area. • a last-image-hold feature so that physicians can view images without continually exposing patients to radiation. Q: How do the new requirements affect a patient’s diagnosis or treatment? A: The new requirements will help physicians know the radiation exposure their patients are receiving during fluoroscopic procedures. This will allow them to reduce the exposures when possible. Q: How do the new amendments protect pediatric patients? A: There is nothing in the amendments that is specific to pediatric patients. However, all of the new features to hel
