Dr. Wenzel on tools for pregnant urologists for managing radiation exposure

In this interview, Jessica L. Wenzel, MD, MPH, discusses key takeaways from the study, “Occupational Radiation Exposure During Pregnancy: A Survey of Urologists on Perception, Experience, and Practice Patterns,” for which she served as the lead author. Wenzel is a fourth-year resident at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.

Video Transcript:

I think the big thing that you can do is you can look at other specialty societies. IR has some nice guidelines laid out; it's actually a joint statement by interventional radiology and then interventional cardiology. The big things are using good radiation practices. So, when it comes to fluoroscopy, low-dose pulsed fluoroscopy, whenever you can, is ideal. It's going to lower the overall radiation exposure. Using good, custom-fitted lead, lead that fits you well –– if you're pregnant, using something that's going to cover your belly adequately. And then using your dosimeter is also extremely important. That way, if those things are not cutting it, if for some reason you are getting higher exposure than you should be, you're at least tracking that and you know, so you can make adjustments going forward.

This transcription has been edited for clarity.