Adverse events due to unnecessary radiation exposure in medical imaging reported in Finland

IntroductionAdverse events in radiology are quite rare, but they do occur. Radiation safety regulations and the law obligate organizations to report certain adverse events, harm and near misses, especially events related to patients' health and safety. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse incidents related to radiation safety issues reported in Finland.MethodsThe data were collected from incident reports documented by radiology personnel concerning notifications of abnormal events in medical imaging made to the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority between 2010 and 2017. During these eight years, 312 reports were submitted. Only events reported from radiology departments were included; nuclear medicine, radiotherapy and animal radiology cases were excluded. The final number of reports was 293 (94%).ResultsThe majority of the 293 approved reports were related to computed tomography (CT, 68.3%) and to X-ray examinations (27.6%). Altogether 82.9% of those irradiated were adults, most of whom were exposed to unnecessary radiation through CT (86.5%), 5.5% were children, and 4.4% pregnant women. The most common effective dose of unnecessary radiation was 1 mSv or less (89.7% of all examinations). The highest effective doses were reported in CT (from under 1 mSv–20 mSv and above). The reasons for the adverse events were incorrect identification (32%), incorrect procedure, site or side (30%); and human errors or errors of knowledge (20%).ConclusionAdverse events occurred especially in CT examinations. It is important to collect and analyse incident data, assess the harmful events, learn from them and aim to reduce adverse events.Implications for practiceThis study emphasizes the need for radiological personnel to obtain evidence-based information on adverse events and focus on training to improve patient safety.     

利培酮治疗首发儿童精神分裂症的临床观察

目的了解利培酮治疗儿童少年期首发精神分裂症或分裂样精神病的临床疗效、安全性和药物剂量。方法用利培酮对62例年龄<14岁的儿童精神分裂症患者治疗8周,采用简明精神病评定量表(BPRS)评定疗效,副反应量表(TESS)及实验室相应检查评定安全性及副反应。结果总有效率85%。不良反应主要为锥体外系反应及失眠,平均治疗剂量(3.26±0.88)mg/d。结论利培酮对于首发儿童少年期精神分裂症或分裂样精神病的治疗,用药安全、疗效可靠、副反应小、依从性高。     

经桡动脉行冠状动脉造影术的安全性观察

目的探讨经桡动脉行冠状动脉(冠脉)造影术的特点及安全性。方法200例患者接受经桡动脉径路行冠脉造影术。结果196例成功,4例失败,其中3例桡动脉迂曲畸形导丝不能通过,1例为锁骨下动脉闭塞。所有患者无严重的并发症出现。结论桡动脉径路行冠状动脉造影具有止血容易,患者卧床时间短和并发症少的优点,是一种安全、有效的介入途径。     

Critical trust: understanding lay perceptions of health and safety risk regulation

The binary opposition of trusting or not trusting is inadequate to understand the often ambiguous and contradictory ideas people possess about risk regulators, particularly when knowledge and experience of such institutions is limited. The paper reports qualitative and quantitative data from a major study of public perceptions (n?=?30 focus groups) of UK risk regulators. We compare the complex and widely different ‘trust profiles’ of two regulatory organisations which are institutionally related (the Health and Safety Executive and the Railways Inspectorate) but very separate in the minds of our participants. The paper develops the notion of critical trust to interrogate the various ways in which people make sense of such organisations, as well as discussing the modes of reasoning that people deploy. The paper argues that views of participants are the outcome of a reconciliation of diverse perceptions concerning the role of the organisation, structural factors and the nature of the regulated risk.     

Shaping ability of the M4 handpiece and Safety Hedstrom Files in simulated root canals

The aim of this study was to assess the shaping ability of the M4 reciprocating handpiece and Safety Hedstrom files in simulated canals. A total of 40 simulated canals of various angles and positions of curvature were prepared with an M4 handpiece using Safety Hedstrom files oriented with the ground, flattened surface towards the inner aspect of the curve. A standard regimen was adopted throughout. Pre- and post-operative longitudinal images of the canals were taken with a video camera and stored and manipulated in a computer with image analysis software. The presence of canal aberrations and the amount and location of resin material removed as a result of preparation were determined from composite images of superimposed pre- and post-operative views. Preparation time varied significantly (P<0.001) between the canal types; overall, 20° canals were prepared more quickly than 40° canals. Zips and elbows were observed in 16 out of the 40 canals with most (11) being created in 40° specimens. Ledges were found in 19 canals and perforations in only 1. There were no significant differences between canal shapes for these aberrations. Excessive removal of material from the inner aspect of the canal at the curve to create a danger zone was found in 20 canals, but only in those with 40° curves. Significant differences in total canal width between the canal types were seen at the zips (P<0.05), elbows (P<0.05) and danger zones (P<0.001). Transportation at the danger zones varied significantly (P<0.001) between canal types. Under the conditions of this study, the M4 handpiece and Safety Hedstrom files created hour-glass preparations in a substantial proportion of canals. In reality, the Safety Hedstrom file with its one flattened surface was ineffective at reducing removal of material along the inner aspect of canal curves in severely curved specimens and clearly has the potential to create strip perforations in teeth.     

Using stories to battle unintentional injuries: Narratives in safety and health communication

After 14 years of rising death rates due to unintentional injuries in the U.S., it is time to ask how safety messages can be redesigned to have a greater impact on risky behavior. To this end, many researchers have called for a new, narrative approach to prevention messages—based on persuasive stories about people who have suffered injuries and illnesses in the past. Still, there is scant evidence that story-based communications are more effective than equivalent non-narrative messages at changing actual (rather than self-reported) safety and health behavior. Our research examined the impact of injury stories on actual safety behavior in a controlled experimental setting at a US university. Teams of participants assembled a product (a child's swing) using written instructions. The instructions contained safety messages targeting assembly mistakes that have been linked to serious injuries in children who play on swings. Participant teams were randomly assigned to three conditions: assembly instructions containing story-based safety messages, instructions with concrete (but non-anecdotal) safety messages, and instructions with traditional abstract safety messages. After adjustment for covariates, story-based messages resulted in a 19 percent improvement in safety behavior, compared with non-narrative communications. Importantly, injury stories did not create undue fear of the message object, demonstrating that brief anecdotes about accident victims can convince people to take reasonable precautions without creating unwarranted alarm about risks.     

磁场治疗白兔脑出血的安全性及疗效的实验研究

目的　探讨磁场治疗对实验性脑出血的治疗作用和安全性。方法　实验一 :5 0只大耳白兔被钩破大脑中动脉以建立脑出血模型。用CT扫描和解剖的方法观察脑出血的情况。实验二 :45只大耳白兔随机分为 0 .4T组、0 .8T组和对照组 ,每组 15只。每只白兔均采用实验一的方法建成脑出血模型。磁疗前CT扫描观察出血情况 ,磁疗后CT扫描观察血肿吸收情况。结果　实验一 :5 0只大耳白兔大脑中动脉钩破术后均出现对侧后下肢无力 ,肌张力降低 ,回缩反射减弱或消失。CT和解剖证实有脑出血。实验二 :45只大耳白兔均成功建成脑出血模型。磁疗前CT扫描 3组之间脑出血差异无显著性意义 (P >0 .0 5 ) ;磁疗后CT扫描 2磁疗组之间血肿吸收差异无显著性意义 (P >0 .0 5 ) ,与对照组比较血肿吸收差异有显著性意义 (P <0 .0 1)。结论　用钩破兔大脑中动脉的方法可建立脑出血动物模型。磁场治疗可促进实验性白兔脑出血的血肿吸收 ,且不产生继发性脑出血     

移动式护理机器人的控制系统

介绍自行研制的移动式护理机器人控制系统的功能和结构、开发过程中所面临的主要问题以及安全保护措施。所研制的机器人的控制系统具有高水平命令编译、机器人运动规划及环境设备控制功能。用户发出的任务指令由机器人的高水平集成控制系统分解为一系列低层的机器人部件控制命令或电器设备操作指令，然后由相应的控制器予以执行。     

Guidelines and recommendations for MR imaging safety and patient management III. Questionnaire for screening patients before MR procedures

The authors present the third installment of the guidelines and recommendations from the Safety Committee of the Society for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (now the Society of Magnetic Resonance) concerning various issues related to the safety and management of patients undergoing magnetic resonance (MR) procedures. This document was developed to provide standardized and consistent information for use by health practitioners involved in screening patients or other individuals for MR procedures.     

Ex vivo evaluation of ferromagnetism,heating, and artifacts produced by heart valve prostheses exposed to a 1.5-T MR system

Ex vivo testing techniques were used to determine the ferromagnetic qualities of, presence of heating in, and artifacts produced by 13 different heart valve prostheses exposed to a 1.5-T (64-MHz) magnetic resonance (MR) system. None of the heart valve prostheses showed a measurable deflection in the 1.5-T static magnetic field. Only minimal artifacts were produced during MR imaging with a fast spoiled GRASS (gradient-recalled acquisition in the steady state) pulse sequence. The largest temperature changes measured during a “worst case” MR imaging sequence (estimated average specific absorption rate, 2.5 W/kg; estimated spatial peak specific absorption rate, 7.6 W/kg) were +0.2°C with the implant imaged “in air” and +0.3°C with the implant imaged in normal saline. Therefore, MR procedures performed with a 1.5-T (64-MHz) MR system may be performed safely in patients with any of the 13 different heart valve prostheses evaluated in this study.