Patient Exposure During Radiological Procedures

Should I allow family members assist with CT scans?

Yes, have family members assist with radiological examinations.

Apparently, there are many facilities that have medical personnel assist with examinations, saying that family members are not able to position patients properly. However, having family members assist can help reduce the sense of fear during examinations, especially in the case of small children. Explain where the assistant should stand, how firmly they should restrain the patient, and that wearing the protective clothing will reduce assistant exposure by 90 %. Procedures may take a few minutes longer, but not avoiding the extra trouble can help ease patient anxiety and even reduce exposure to medical personnel. Assistance by patient family members is even recommended by the international medical radiation protection community, because it can help avoid frequent exposures to medical personnel.