ABSTRACT
The use of medical imaging has greatly improved the ability to accurately diagnose disease and manage patient care. Most radiologic and all nuclear medicine procedures expose patients and operators to ionizing radiation. Hybrid imaging utilizes both radiologic and nuclear medicine modalities. This chapter outlines some special considerations for radiation safety when using hybrid imaging. It focuses on the common terms used in radiation monitoring and the types of injury and other negative health effects that can result from radiation exposure. The chapter reviews the history of ionizing radiation use in medicine and the evidence for radiation-induced negative health effects based on epidemiologic and laboratory studies. It then reviews the different imaging modalities that use ionizing radiation. The chapter also focuses on how to minimize radiation dose to patients undergoing hybrid imaging, ways of communicating risks to patients, and considerations for following patients who have or are expected to receive a high dose.
