Answer to Question #9793 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Medical and Dental Equipment/Shielding — Shielding

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Q
Do I need to wear a lead apron if I am staying in the CT room with my child while he has a CT (computerized tomography) scan?
A

You should be provided a lead apron anytime you are in any x-ray room with your child. This is in keeping with the concept of keeping radiation dose as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA), and it is most likely a state regulation where you are. This should also be in policy for the facility where the x rays were taken. In general, no one should be in the x-ray room unless it is absolutely necessary (it is common for parents to have to hold their children during x rays). If people are in the room (whether staff or family member), they must stay out of the primary x-ray beam, they should have a lead apron, they should be over the age of 18, and they should not be pregnant.


Kennith "Duke" Lovins, CHP
Health Physicist
Answer posted on 15 July 2011. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, materials, and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.