Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany.
J Nucl Med. 2011 Dec;52 Suppl 2:29S-35S. doi: 10.2967/jnumed.110.085720.
Physicians, medical staff, and patients, much like the general population, are becoming increasingly sensitized to the issue of radiation exposure from diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. The attitudes of patients undergoing diagnostic imaging procedures that use ionizing radiation vary widely. Patient perception of radiation dose strongly influences their acceptance of diagnostic examinations or therapies involving radioactivity. Here, we review perceptions and concerns about radiation and radioactivity by laypersons and medical experts. Several studies show that physicians are frequently poorly informed about radiation levels associated with nuclear medicine and radiologic examinations. In addition, patients' decisions against undergoing an imaging procedure are frequently based on partial and sometimes incorrect information. Thus, physicians must take the concerns of their patients seriously. From the literature and our own experience, we conclude that it is extremely important to thoroughly and carefully educate all involved in patient work-up about radiation exposure levels and perceived or actual health risks. Although the choice and timing of imaging examinations should always outweigh the risk that secondary illness will develop, the patients' concerns still must be alleviated.
医生、医务人员和患者，就像一般大众一样，对诊断或治疗程序中的辐射暴露问题越来越敏感。接受使用电离辐射的诊断成像程序的患者的态度差异很大。患者对辐射剂量的感知强烈影响他们对涉及放射性的诊断检查或治疗的接受程度。在这里，我们回顾了非专业人士和医学专家对辐射和放射性的看法和担忧。多项研究表明，医生经常对核医学和放射学检查相关的辐射水平知之甚少。此外，患者拒绝进行成像程序的决定经常基于部分且有时是不正确的信息。因此，医生必须认真对待患者的担忧。根据文献和我们自己的经验，我们得出的结论是，彻底、仔细地向所有参与患者检查的人员教育辐射暴露水平以及感知或实际健康风险极其重要。尽管选择和时间成像检查应始终大于继发疾病发展的风险，但仍必须减轻患者的担忧。
