Researchers at Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center's department of orthopedic surgery believe that physicians should educate their spine patients on the potential dangers of radiation exposure from spinal imaging.
Here are five things to know:
1. The study analyzed patients' knowledge of the radiation exposure associated with imaging techniques utilized throughout spinal pathology diagnosis and evaluation.
2. Researchers polled 100 patients at their first clinic visit with a spine surgeon.
3. Patients' had an accurate conception of the radiation associated with cervical spine views, but they underestimated radiation doses for CT scans of the cervical spine and lumbar spine. Their MRI radiation predictions were also off-base.
4. The number of patients willing to decline physician-recommended imaging out of fear of radiation exposure was:
- 14 percent for X-rays
- 13 percent for CT scans
- 9 percent for MRI
5. Researchers concluded that patients generally underestimate radiation exposure associated with common spinal imaging techniques and would benefit from increased guidance and education on the topic before undergoing diagnostic imaging of the cervical or lumbar spine.
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