IEMA supports 'Image Gently' campaign
National effort raises awareness of child
safety for X-rays, CT scans
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[October 12, 2012]
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois
Emergency Management Agency is encouraging health care professionals
to "Image Gently" when conducting X-rays or computed tomography
scans on children.
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IEMA recently sent a letter to nearly 16,000 medical radiation technologists,
X-ray facilities and others highlighting the latest addition to the Alliance for
Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging's nationwide Image Gently campaign: Back
to Basics -- beam, artifacts, shielding, immobilizations and indicators,
collimation and structures.Back to Basics offers informational resources for
the medical community regarding radiation protection for children during
radiography procedures.
A parent brochure, "What Parents Should Know About Radiation Protection in
Medical Imaging," helps parents understand radiation risks and benefits before
their child undergoes a procedure. (See
brochure.)
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"While X-rays and CT scans are essential tools for diagnosis, when it comes
to children, one size does not fit all," said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken. "In
addition to ensuring the medical community is aware of new information available
through Image Gently, we also want to raise awareness among parents so they can
better understand the risks and benefits of these procedures."
More than 17,500 medical professionals nationwide have taken the Image Gently
pledge to "child-size" the radiation dose used in children's imaging. IEMA
encourages Illinois health care professionals to join in taking the pledge.
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IEMA has long supported the Image Gently campaign. In 2009, the
agency sent a letter to health professionals to increase awareness
about the nationwide campaign and posted information for the medical
community and parents on its website,
www.iema.illinois.gov.
IEMA's Bureau of Radiation Safety registers and inspects 34,000
radiation-producing machines and accredits more than 14,000
radiation technologists in the state.
For more information about the Image Gently campaign, visit the
Ready Illinois website at
www.ready.illinois.gov or the Image Gently website at
www.imagegently.org.
[Text from
Illinois Emergency Management
Agency file received from the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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