At Radiology Consultants,
trained Radiologic Technologists perform your examination.
They complete at least 2 years of education in the radiologic
sciences and pass a comprehensive national certification
examination. They specialize in a wide range of areas
and are certified by the state of Arkansas. All technologists
must acquire continuing education hours yearly as required
by state and national organizations.
At Radiology Consultants,
a board-certified Radiologist reads your examination.
They are trained to interpret the images that are taken
by the Radiologic Technologist. They have a medical
degree (M.D.) and have completed a residency in radiology.
They specialize in many areas such as mammography, diagnostic,
nuclear medicine and interventional radiology.
Radiation Exposure
and Your Safety
X-rays are a form of
radiant energy, like light and radio waves. Unlike light,
x-rays can penetrate the body, which allows a radiologist
to produce pictures of internal structures. Because
different tissues and organs have varying sensitivity
to radiation exposure, the actual dose to different
parts of the body from an x-ray procedure varies.
As with other medical
procedures, x-rays are safe when used with care. Radiologists
and x-ray technologists have been trained to use the
minimum amount of radiation necessary to obtain the
needed results. The amount of radiation used in most
examinations is very small and the benefits greatly
outweigh the risk of harm.
Naturally-occurring
"background" radiation exposure
We are exposed to radiation
from natural sources all the time. The average person
in the U.S. receives an effective dose of about 3 mSv
per year from naturally occurring radioactive materials
and cosmic radiation from outer space.
The largest source of background radiation comes from
radon gas in our homes. To explain it in simple terms,
we can compare the radiation exposure from one chest
x-ray as equivalent to the amount of radiation exposure
one experiences from our natural surroundings in 10
days.
Altitude also plays a big role. People living in Colorado
or New Mexico receive about 1.5 mSv more per year than
those living near sea level.
