X-Ray-- How many is too many?

Question

I had a puncture wound on my finger where it went through my bone. I had it x-rayed in the ER and then once more for a follow up 4 weeks later at a specialist. During this time, I got off medicaid and now have new insurance. Now, 2.5 months later, my family dr. wants to get more x-rays before sending me to a specialist, who I'm assuming will want to get another set of x-rays. Is this excessive? I don't want to get cancer... you feel me? All this, and I feel like nothing has changed in my bone. I can still move my finger freely(disconnected).

thanks

Answer 1

I see many patients who have multiple exams which have a greater dose in short periods of time. A finger x-ray uses a very, very low dose of radiation. In fact, when we set the machine for an x-ray, the finger is the lowest dose we use. The only thing exposed during a finger x-ray is your finger. The x-ray beam is collimated to only the body part of interest. If your doctor feels another x-ray will affect your course of treatment, it is a good idea. Here is something I found:

"It is not possible to provide any specific risk analysis for you, especially from the broad information you provided. However, it is extremely unlikely that you will have any harmful effects from your medical radiation. For example, the American Cancer Society data indicate that about 15% of Americans will get serious cancer. The probability of cancer from any single medical x-ray exposure is on the order of one in a million. So, if you are one of the unfortunate ones who get cancer, it will be many times more likely that it arose spontaneously, rather than being caused by your x-ray exposure. We have no data proving that any patient has been harmed from ordinary diagnostic x-ray procedures in recent years. Older data, generally before World War II, do indicate that some patients were injured—but equipment was much cruder then and patient doses were much larger. You should not be unduly concerned about your radiation exposure. In particular, you should not be denied the benefit of future x-ray examinations just because of your history. If an x-ray exposure is deemed by your physician to be medically necessary, your benefit from it will be substantially greater than any potential risk.
S. Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD"

http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q3884.html

Answer 2

in order to receive a damaging amount or radiation you would need about 600 full power chest xrs in a year so it is extrememly unlikely that there will be residual effects, trust me: you are fine. Look, responding to aboves claim, I promise you there will be no residual side effects of any kind whatsoever. Absolutely none. In my ICU some patients get 250 images in just a few months, nothing. It is totally impossible. Period. You get more harmful radiation flying across the country on a 747 then you do getting a couple of x-rays in your hand.

Answer 3

Its unlikely that you will get cancer, what may happen is you can get sick from the radiation exposure. Usually it depends where you are getting the xrays done. If its near sensitive organs, head, chest etc... then usually a hospital will only do no more than 2 a year. Maybe more if the benefits outweight any side-effects. The only way to know for sure is to bring this up to your physician and the radiologist AND the radiology tech. If you are still uncertain, ask another doctor for a second opinion.

Answer 4

IMO, there IS no "safe" amt. of X-radiation, even though the amounts are less nowadays. Yes, this amount DOES sound excessive, esp. for what you describe.

As for the type of wound you have, I got a similar one once (an awl poked right through the end of my index finger) and it healed fine, with NO x-rays. If there's no break or dislocation, save the x-rays for the dentist and/or chiropractor!

Sounds like your new insurance is pretty good and the doc wants to cash in on it.

Answer 5

Oh sweetie, let me tell you--at my hospital, we have 2 patients that are BANNED from getting x-rays, because they reached their lifetime limit of radiation. It took both of them years to acheive this lofty goal (one that they're quite proud of). And neither one has cancer. Long story short, radiation isn't great, but the chances of you getting cancer from 4 x-rays are slim.