X-Ray Consent

[jonbeeza]

I went to the Doctors this morning, and this was because I had painful knee and finger joints. The Doctor suggested this might be Arthritis, she was not my usual Doctor but she told me she was a trainee. She said she would send me to have X-Rays taken, and she asked me do I consent to have this procedure done. Just reading the paperwork I have to take to the Hospital, and it says: The clinical information given on this form will be checked prior to X-Ray, and is essential for justifying the examination and Radiation Dose.

Looks like they don't want to subject patients, to harmful doses of radiation unnecessarily. I know you get subjected to X-Rays in various places, such as at the Dentist and Airports etc. Just wondering, do you get subjected to higher doses at Hospitals ?

Also I do not recall ever being asked, do I consent to have an X-Ray Taken !

 

[neil_g]

They want to make you glow in the dark.

 

[jonbeeza]

They want to make you glow in the dark.

Possibly lol

I have been subjected to loads of X-Rays when I was a kid, broken arm broken leg. If I said I had a headache I got an X-Ray, they really did love doing them in the old days. Had so many, that's probably the reason all the hair on my head fell out

 

[viv1969]

The harmful radiation from x-rays does not dissipate. Therefore over the course of your life the amount of (I believe) gamma radiation accumulates. This is just from memory.
But if x-rays are necessary, and it sounds like they are, if you want a sound diagnosis, what are your options?
They may be old fashioned, but x-rays are still a valuable diagnostic tool.

 

[beyond the blue]

How many of you remember having your feet X-rayed in shoe shops in the 50s. We used to love going into the local co-op for shoes so we could stick our feet in the x-ray machine and see where our toes were. We would do it numerous times in each visit. God knows what damage we did to ourselves

 

[jonbeeza]

The harmful radiation from x-rays does not dissipate. Therefore over the course of your life the amount of (I believe) gamma radiation accumulates. This is just from memory.
But if x-rays are necessary, and it sounds like they are, if you want a sound diagnosis, what are your options?
They may be old fashioned, but x-rays are still a valuable diagnostic tool.

Really


I did ask the Doctor what if it was Arthritis, and she said she would simply give me an Ibuprofen Gel, and this would simply ease the pain. Oh and good old Paracetamol also. So if this was the case, I may as well assume I do have Arthritis and simply use the Gel and pain killers anyway !

 

[jonbeeza]

How many of you remember having your feet X-rayed in shoe shops in the 50s. We used to love going into the local co-op for shoes so we could stick our feet in the x-ray machine and see where our toes were. We would do it numerous times in each visit. God knows what damage we did to ourselves

Never heard of that one, but there again not many would believe food manufacturers sealed tins of food with lead..

 

[viv1969]

Really


I did ask the Doctor what if it was Arthritis, and she said she would simply give me an Ibuprofen Gel, and this would simply ease the pain. Oh and good old Paracetamol also. So if this was the case, I may as well assume I do have Arthritis and simply use the Gel and pain killers anyway !

Important word in there is "if".

 

[PatrickO]

Really


I did ask the Doctor what if it was Arthritis, and she said she would simply give me an Ibuprofen Gel, and this would simply ease the pain. Oh and good old Paracetamol also. So if this was the case, I may as well assume I do have Arthritis and simply use the Gel and pain killers anyway !

I'd ask the doc to refer you to a physio if you have a painful knee. I see a lot of people with knee arthritis and can often improve things quite a lot.

Physios are usually good at diagnosing what the problem is too.

 

[jonbeeza]

Important word in there is "if".

Well looking at my family history, my mum my brothers and sisters were riddled with Arthritis. The Doctor says it looks like it is, going by family history, and looking at my fingers and knees..

 

[jonbeeza]

I'd ask the doc to refer you to a physio if you have a painful knee. I see a lot of people with knee arthritis and can often improve things quite a lot.

Physios are usually good at diagnosing what the problem is too.

Yes that might be worth a mention to the Doctor, thanks

 

[Gremlin]

I did ask the Doctor what if it was Arthritis, and she said she would simply give me an Ibuprofen Gel, and this would simply ease the pain. Oh and good old Paracetamol also. So if this was the case, I may as well assume I do have Arthritis and simply use the Gel and pain killers anyway !

I had a fall a few years ago, doctor said I had shattered my knee cap and sent for an xray, WTF
It proved not to be as I already knew but the diagnosis was degenerative arthritis which may get worse with age.
Recently injured same knee and again xrayed only to be told that there was no sign of arthritis whatsoever

 

[Matt]

its probably more to do with the fact that people are suing organisations for no good reason at all these days, so they are covering their asses.

 

[jonbeeza]

I had a fall a few years ago, doctor said I had shattered my knee cap and sent for an xray, WTF
It proved not to be as I already knew but the diagnosis was degenerative arthritis which may get worse with age.
Recently injured same knee and again xrayed only to be told that there was no sign of arthritis whatsoever

I have had that sort of thing before, different Doctors seeing different things !

 

[Strapps]

I have been subjected to loads of X-Rays when I was a kid, broken arm broken leg. If I said I had a headache I got an X-Ray, they really did love doing them in the old days. Had so many, that's probably the reason all the hair on my head fell out

On the other hand, you and @beyond the blue might be superheroes due to the amount of radiation you've absorbed 'cos back then it was good strong radiation which gave you powers, not like the wishy washy limp-wristed radiation you get these days.

Must be true, I read it in a newspaper. Which might have been a comic.

 

[crofter]

How many of you remember having your feet X-rayed in shoe shops in the 50s. We used to love going into the local co-op for shoes so we could stick our feet in the x-ray machine and see where our toes were. We would do it numerous times in each visit. God knows what damage we did to ourselves

Yup, I remember that, I was just going to mention it, you saved me the bother.

 

[Cobra]

On the other hand, you and @beyond the blue might be superheroes due to the amount of radiation you've absorbed 'cos back then it was good strong radiation which gave you powers, not like the wishy washy limp-wristed radiation you get these days. .

Just don't make 'em angry f'crissakes,
you wouldn't like them when they are angry

 

[Gremlin]

I have had that sort of thing before, different Doctors seeing different things !

2nd one showed me the xray, showing perfectly good normal bones, as they should be, no damage etc

 

[jonbeeza]

On the other hand, you and @beyond the blue might be superheroes due to the amount of radiation you've absorbed 'cos back then it was good strong radiation which gave you powers, not like the wishy washy limp-wristed radiation you get these days.

Must be true, I read it in a newspaper. Which might have been a comic.

You might be getting confused with the glowing Ready Brek figure, but I think you had to eat loads to get affected. Maybe they banned the advert, as I have not seen the glowing kid for ages

 

[Cobra]

You might be getting confused with the glowing Ready Brek figure, but I think you had to eat loads to get affected. Maybe they banned the advert, as I have not seen the glowing kid for ages

David Banner never got like that eating ready brek

 

[Gremlin]

David Banner never got like that eating ready brek

Wrong colour he was green

 

[beyond the blue]

This is the machine that was used in the shoe shops, it had multiple viewing ports so all the family could have a shufty as well.

 

[Quicksnapper]

How many of you remember having your feet X-rayed in shoe shops in the 50s. We used to love going into the local co-op for shoes so we could stick our feet in the x-ray machine and see where our toes were. We would do it numerous times in each visit. God knows what damage we did to ourselves

Lol ... Yes! It was the best bit of going for new shoes! Happened to me a lot and I'm still walking about on those same feet, so can't have been too harmful!!

 

[PatrickO]

Lol ... Yes! It was the best bit of going for new shoes! Happened to me a lot and I'm still walking about on those same feet, so can't have been too harmful!!

But can you leap tall buildings in a single bound?

 

[Cobra]

David Banner never got like that eating ready brek

Wrong colour he was green

 

[crofter]

This is the machine that was used in the shoe shops, it had multiple viewing ports so all the family could have a shufty as well.

That's the one, I hope it was well shielded, I wonder how many rads the shop staff were exposed to.

 

[jonbeeza]

I saw a film many years ago, it starred Boris Karloff and I think he may have had a few too may X-Rays. Anyway he turned into an invincible glowing Monster, Can't recall the name of the film. He may have been a Green monster, but I can't be sure as we only had a Black and White telly. But there again it would not have made a difference if we had of had a colour telly, as I think the film may have been in Black and White anyway !

I am now just reading up on the safety issues of amassing a good few X-Rays over ones lifetime, and the dangers ets. Oh and the probability of the Boris Karloff side effect !

 

[the black fox]

i can remember the foot X-ray machines ,yes it was fun when you wiggled your toes .

the arthritis is just a old age thing ,learn to live with it .take the painkillers .

as for harmful radiation one of the nature reserves i visit regularly is where the atomic bomb was developed during ww2 before they actually took it stateside to build it ,all of the caves and tunnels there have large signs warning of radiation risk ,i have been going there for several years and the only thing thats happened is my wife says she can now see my willy glowing green in the dark

 

[ancient_mariner]

as for harmful radiation one of the nature reserves i visit regularly is where the atomic bomb was developed during ww2 before they actually took it stateside to build it ,all of the caves and tunnels there have large signs warning of radiation risk ,i have been going there for several years and the only thing thats happened is my wife says she can now see my willy glowing green in the dark

Yes, but what have you been doing to make your willy glow green?

Radiation damage is not cumulative in the sense that you will retain every bit you ever received from birth until now, but there are calculated safe limits of dosage that one can receive over a period of time. The problem with radiation is that it damages DNA, more often leading to cell death than mutation. However radiation comes from lots of sources naturally, and given time, your bodies are able to repair damaged DNA. But receiving radiation is never 'good' so there is a strong onus on healthcare practice to keep dosage given to patients to a minimum, and that is also why permission is required before carrying out the procedure. When you have dental X-rays you should also be required to sign a consent form.

 

[viv1969]

i can remember the foot X-ray machines ,yes it was fun when you wiggled your toes .

the arthritis is just a old age thing ,learn to live with it .take the painkillers .

as for harmful radiation one of the nature reserves i visit regularly is where the atomic bomb was developed during ww2 before they actually took it stateside to build it ,all of the caves and tunnels there have large signs warning of radiation risk ,i have been going there for several years and the only thing thats happened is my wife says she can now see my willy glowing green in the dark

Wouldn't it be a smart thing to learn which type of Arthritis and have it treated correctly? It isn't just one disease, it isn't always related to age, and there are medications which can treat some types far more effectively than painkillers.

 

[camerassassin]

I have Osteo Arthritis affecting my knees and elbows [ the elbows because of severe injuries in the past ] I've found the best thing for my knees has been Physio from time to time from my local Sports Medicine Clinic - - really good staff and I can get an appointment when I need one . Did a lot of work with them when my knees started to give problems and now know what to do on a day to day basis .

Getting physio from my GP would have been rather a slow process so I prefer to pay the modest fee and get treated when I'm in trouble

 

[jonbeeza]

Radiation damage is not cumulative in the sense that you will retain every bit you ever received from birth until now, but there are calculated safe limits of dosage that one can receive over a period of time. The problem with radiation is that it damages DNA, more often leading to cell death than mutation. However radiation comes from lots of sources naturally, and given time, your bodies are able to repair damaged DNA. But receiving radiation is never 'good' so there is a strong onus on healthcare practice to keep dosage given to patients to a minimum, and that is also why permission is required before carrying out the procedure. When you have dental X-rays you should also be required to sign a consent form.

Dentists that I have been to, have always been very keen on doing X-Rays, lost count how many I have had. Maybe to help add to the cost.

Makes me laugh, the way Dentists and their assistants always leg it out of the room, when they are doing X-Rays. Last time when I was in the Dentists waiting room, the assistant put her lunch in the room, Sandwiches and a bottle of juice. They put the X-Ray machine on and ran out of the room, the assistant left her Sandwiches and Juice in the room. Wonder if she does that everyday? Imagine all the radiation she must be consuming, through her exposed lunch

 

[Tringa]

Neil, you took me back about 55 years in a fraction of a second. I remember those machines and how much I used to enjoy sticking my feet in one and having a look.

Dave

 

[Donnie]

Dentists that I have been to, have always been very keen on doing X-Rays, lost count how many I have had. Maybe to help add to the cost.

Makes me laugh, the way Dentists and their assistants always leg it out of the room, when they are doing X-Rays. Last time when I was in the Dentists waiting room, the assistant put her lunch in the room, Sandwiches and a bottle of juice. They put the X-Ray machine on and ran out of the room, the assistant left her Sandwiches and Juice in the room. Wonder if she does that everyday? Imagine all the radiation she must be consuming, through her exposed lunch

ummm as already said x rays are cumulative, ie they don't dissapate in the body, they build up.
This will be why she could leave the lunch as it only ever got one dose, whereas she herself may well have been exposed to thousands of doses over the years and without proper protection she'd likely be dead or have cancer :-(

On x rays, they use different doses depending on several factors eg a dental x ray will be less than say a pelvic xray, whereas the same xray on someone fat will be higher than someone thin.

As for your xray vs assuming you have arthritis, have the xray, there's numerous things it could be rather than arthritis.

 

[jonbeeza]

ummm as already said x rays are cumulative, ie they don't dissapate in the body, they build up.
This will be why she could leave the lunch as it only ever got one dose, whereas she herself may well have been exposed to thousands of doses over the years and without proper protection she'd likely be dead or have cancer :-(

On x rays, they use different doses depending on several factors eg a dental x ray will be less than say a pelvic xray, whereas the same xray on someone fat will be higher than someone thin.

As for your xray vs assuming you have arthritis, have the xray, there's numerous things it could be rather than arthritis.

But this was early morning when I saw her put the butties and juice in the room, by mid day they could have done a good few X-Rays. But there again it could be her elevenses

As regards to X-Ray, yes I will pop along...

 

[DaveS2]

Not only standard X-Ray machines, but the CT scanner works the in the same way. MRI is very different, in that it uses high intensity magnetic pulses.

Being diagnosed with early Prostate Cancer, back 2012, I went through 7.5 weeks (every day) of very high intensity Radio Therapy (X-Rays), at a level (74 Grey) that if delivered in one go, would probably be fatal. However, it was delivered over 7.5 weeks, in short bursts, and is 'targeted'.

The theory behind it, is that healthy cells will recover, wheres as (hopefully) the Cancer cells won't.

Nearly two years on, and things are hopefully going to plan, but I still have six monthly check-ups, and probably will continue to be monitored for some time to come.

So, in the absence of anything better, X-rays are a necessary evil, and a very important tool for the medical profession.

BTW, I too remember the Pedascope, in the shoe department of our local department store. As a kid, it was a real novelty.

Oh yes, I would advise any man over 50, to have a PSA test for Prostate Cancer. I opted for regular testing, and was clear for years, then one day the result prompted further investigation, which led to the discovery of very early stage Prostate Cancer, which was still confined to the Prostate.

Dave

 

[jonbeeza]

Not only standard X-Ray machines, but the CT scanner works the in the same way. MRI is very different, in that it uses high intensity magnetic pulses.

Being diagnosed with early Prostate Cancer, back 2012, I went through 7.5 weeks (every day) of very high intensity Radio Therapy (X-Rays), at level (74 Grey) that if delivered in one go, would probably be fatal. However, it was delivered over 7.5 weeks, in short bursts, and is 'targeted'.

The theory behind it, is that healthy cells will recover, wheres as (hopefully) the Cancer cells won't.

Nearly two years on, and things are hopefully going to plan, but I still have six monthly check-ups, and probably will continue to be monitored for some time to come.

So, in the absence of anything better, X-rays are a necessary evil, and a very important tool for the medical profession.

BTW, I too remember the Pedascope, in the shoe department of our local department store. As a kid, it was a real novelty.

Oh yes, I would advise any man over 50, to have a PSA test for Prostate Cancer. I opted for regular testing, and was clear for years, then one day the result prompted further investigation, which led the the discovery of very early stage Prostate Cancer, which was still confined to the Prostate.

Dave

Hi Dave glad things are going to plan for you. I am going to pop along and have a chat with the hospital, regarding my X-Rays ...

 

[Snooky]

Get a knee replacement! In and out same day, if it goes straight forward your be ok!
At 21 I had both hips replaced at same time due to arthritis! Out walking in 4 days,Best thing I ever agreed to do! No pain, stiffness, just the odd funny noise if turned on awkwardly!!

 

[PatrickO]

the arthritis is just a old age thing ,learn to live with it .take the painkillers .

No, no ,no. And no again. Arthritis of any sort is a treatable condition.

 

[POAH]

I went to the Doctors this morning, and this was because I had painful knee and finger joints. The Doctor suggested this might be Arthritis, she was not my usual Doctor but she told me she was a trainee. She said she would send me to have X-Rays taken, and she asked me do I consent to have this procedure done. Just reading the paperwork I have to take to the Hospital, and it says: The clinical information given on this form will be checked prior to X-Ray, and is essential for justifying the examination and Radiation Dose.

Looks like they don't want to subject patients, to harmful doses of radiation unnecessarily. I know you get subjected to X-Rays in various places, such as at the Dentist and Airports etc. Just wondering, do you get subjected to higher doses at Hospitals ?

Also I do not recall ever being asked, do I consent to have an X-Ray Taken !

they need to know how much you get as over time the more you are exposed to the higher the risk of DNA damage (thymidine dimers in case you are interested). anything that has the potential to damage you have to be asked for consent. You don't have to have an x-ray.