Medical radiation exposure of pregnant and potentially pregnant women

Book · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:7277970

Sensitivity to ionizing radiation is greater during intrauterine stages of development than at other stages in the life of the mammalian organism. For this reason, the NCRP recommends special care in patient selection in certain cases of diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures. For women of child-bearing capacity, the physician requesting a radiological or nuclear medicine examination involving the lower abdominal or pelvic region should ascertain whether the patient is, or could be, pregnant. Further, the NCRP recommends that physicians tell their premenopausal patients that, if they are likely to have nuclear medicine studies or x-ray examinations of the lower abdomen, it is generally advisable that they not run a risk of pregnancy until two months after the studies are carried out. Modification of an examination for dose reduction is warranted only if it reasonably can be done without significant jeopardy to the medical care of the patient and/or her unborn child.

• Research Organization: National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Washington, DC
• OSTI ID: 7277970
• Report Number(s): NCRP-54
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
560171 -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGE DEPENDENCE
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
EMBRYOS
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
FEMALES
FETUSES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INTERNAL IRRADIATION
IRRADIATION
MAMMALS
MAN
MEDICINE
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
PATIENTS
PREGNANCY
PRIMATES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION HAZARDS
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIOLOGY
RADIOSENSITIVITY
RECOMMENDATIONS
US NCRP
US ORGANIZATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WOMEN