(1st June 2016)
I was shocked recently when a gentleman walked into Sunshine Coast Computer Club local live radiation monitoring station equipment room, and set all the Geiger counter alarms off! At first I though a major nuclear event was occurring. 🙁
After the computer based Geiger counter also stated to alarm, I picked up the GammaScout Geiger counter that also started to alarm, and noted it was reading 2.67 uSv/hr. I was standing ~ 2 meters away from him at this point. I had been a lot closer. 🙁
It turned out he had just come from a CT scan at a Sunshine Coast Private Medical Centre.
He asked if he should leave? I politely said yes.
I spoke to him later outside on the footpath, mind you keeping my distance.
It turned out that the medical center hadn't told him squat about what they had injected him with, or given him any warnings or post procedural advice!
I was shocked at the levels, and pointed out they should have warned him to stay clear of people, including his wife, and particularly children, for at least 24 hours, plus drink plenty of water for 24 hours to flush it out of his system.
So at one metre he was 5.34 uSv/hr, at half a meter 10.68 uSv/hr, and at quarter of a meter 21.36 uSv/hr! If he just happened to hold his grandchild or baby in his arms, well you get the picture, it would be probably greater than 80 uSv/hr.
A medical chest X-ray is approximately an instantaneous 100 uSv, but at half a metre, you're getting a full body X-ray every ten seconds, while in the presence of this gentleman!
in my opinion the medical profession has become far too complacent in its handling of these highly radioactive materials, and are placing their patients and the public at risk!
Children, particularly girls and pregnant women, are far more sensitive to the effects of radiation.
This all happened rather quickly as you can see from the recorded chart below. I removed the spike in data out of the day average calculation for that day, as it is displayed Internationally on the Internet. The GammaScout Geiger counter is on 60 second data collection, so it didn't pick up the full peak of my visual observation.
Click to see larger image.
This gentlemen was the source of a very high radiation detection, as he had left the hospital the CT scan was not the source of this high detection, but the radioactive tracer he was injected with. CT scans are another source of radiation exposure, and from the information in this recently published "The Western Australian" article , they also pose a radiation risk!
11th May 2016 - Health experts want doctors to consider CT scan radiation risks
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/31566106/app-flags-risk-of-ct-radiation/
Quote:
"An estimated 430 Australians die each year from cancer caused by exposure to X-rays but experts are particularly concerned about the higher doses of ionising radiation from CT scans. A single CT scan of the abdomen or pelvis gives a one in 1000 risk of developing fatal cancer - the same risk of being killed on WA roads over a 10-year period. The risk increases for each CT scan."
There are often safer alternative diagnostic tools that can be used for some medical tests, like an MRI or ultrasound, instead of a CT scan.
Important:
1. Medical staff should tell you what they are injecting you with!
2. If it is highly radioactive material, they should instruct you on what post procedural actions should be taken.
3. These procedures are important as they will limit the exposure of your family and friends, and very important if you have a pregnant women or your children, in your environment after treatment.
Radiation exposure health effects show up years later after the exposure.
Disclaimer: This is an amateur volunteer run service. Human error can provide incorrect information, and equipment malfunction can produce false readings. Do not rely on, or take action upon information presented on this web site, without further research. Views expressed in the pages or images on the SCCC Inc., site are the personal opinions of the relevant writers, and are not necessarily representative of those of SCCC Inc.
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