Keeping it low: protecting teams from radiation during surgery.

With more minimally invasive surgery, the C-arm has become a regular resident in the OR. Surgeons rely on imaging during cases to guide implant placement and other critical aspects of surgery. How much radiation are OR teams being exposed to, and what safety measures should they be taking? Safety pointers were offered by 2 radiology managers: Jeff Palmucci, CRA, director of radiology services at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, past president of the American Healthcare Radiology Administrators (AHRA), and Debra Lopez, CRA, FAHRA, RT(R), president-elect of AHRA and director of diagnostic imaging at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California. Radiation use in health care is regulated by federal, state, and local agencies. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has regulations for radiation and safety, which are typically carried out by the states. AORN’s Recommended Practices for Reducing Radiological Exposure in the Perioperative Practice Setting provide specific advice for OR staff. A good resource is your radiation safety officer (RSO), who is responsible for the facility’s radiation safety program.