Thyroid Collar Protection: Why it’s Important

Thyroid Collar Protection: Why it’s Important

According to a publication released by the American Thyroid Association in 2013, the thyroid is among the most “susceptible sites to radiation-induced cancer.”  In the U.S. in particular, “thyroid cancer is increasing faster than any other with more than 56,000 people diagnosed in 2012 alone.” The ATA states that an “increase in the use of diagnostic x-rays, particularly CT, necessitates the protection of the thyroid gland” in order to diminish thyroid cancer risk. It is especially important to take into account repeated exposure to radiation over one’s lifetime when assessing this risk, and physicians who are undertaking these procedures without adequate protection are at risk from scatter radiation. The findings of the ATA indicate that revisiting the benefits of thyroid shielding is a practical and timely way to reevaluate how healthcare professionals can proactively protect themselves.

 

Practitioner Protection

For physicians performing radiologic procedures, the usage of thyroid shields is an essential precaution to protect from exposure, and Infab’s wide variety of thyroid collars offer premium radiation protection. Wearing thyroid shielding is in line with standards for radiation protection which also include time spent exposed, and the distance between the radiologist to the radiation source. For any medical professional who works with the risk of radiation exposure, shielding makes it possible to take on more procedures, as the protection increases the amount of time that one can be exposed.

 

Leading the way in innovative protection, Infab’s Revolution Thyroid Collar protects all areas at risk, front and back.  Furthermore, the exclusive outer fabric offers comfort for long-term wear, which encourages the user to keep it on for multiple procedures. In addition to Infab’s Revolution collar, we offer four other options in order to meet the needs of any specialist. The NST-S1 and TCV-S1 offer a “one-size fits all” comfortable fit that gives the user protection with the convenience of easy application and removal. The NST-S1 differs from the TCV-S1 in that it does not have a fabric trim – or “binding” along the outer edge. The NST-M1 and TCV-M1 models represent our Medium sizes. All of our thyroid collars are available in Regular Lead, Kiarmor bilayer, and in our Smart Armor Regular, Lightweight, and Greenlite options.

 

Patient Protection

Thyroid shielding is also crucial when it comes to patient protection, and in addition to our thyroid collars, Infab offers patient protection in the form of Disposable Barium Sulfate thyroid shields. The European Commission for Guidelines on Radiation Protection concluded that providing thyroid shielding to patients significantly reduces radiation doses concluding that this type of patient protection is strongly recommended any time the thyroid is in the line of, or very close to, the primary beam. The Disposable Barium thyroid shields are designed to maximize patient protection, without sacrificing comfort. Furthermore, they are highly effective during CT scans, dental radiography, or any procedure where X-Ray radiation is utilized. Independently tested, usage of the Disposable Barium Sulfate Thyroid Shield showed over a 60% dose reduction at 50 kVp to 150 kVp during CT and general X-ray examinations. Furthermore, the disposable shields are inexpensive, 100% disposable through a standard hospital waste system, and eliminate cross infection and contamination. This benefits any facility who is looking for a solution to protect their patients in a cost-effective manner while providing thyroid protection that is superior to other methods.

 

References

Richardson DB. 2009. Exposure to Ionizing Radiation in Adulthood and Thyroid Cancer Incidence. Epidemiology 20:181-187.

National Cancer Institute. “Thyroid Cancer.” Cancer.gov. Accessed 6/6/12. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/thyroid

Sinnott B, Ron E, Schneider AB. 2010. Exposing the Thyroid to Radiation: A Review of its Current Extent, Risks, and Implications. Endocr Rev 31:756-773.

National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement 2003 Radiation Protection in

Dentistry. NCRP Report No. 145, National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement, Bethesda, MD.

ADA Council on Scientific Affairs. 2001. An Update on radiographic Practices: Information and recommendations. ADA Council on Scientific Affairs. J Am Dent Assoc 132:234-238. 37. European Commission. 2004. European Guidelines on Radiation Protection: The Safe Use of Radiographs in Dental Practice, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg, Netherland

AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2013 Apr;200(4):915-20. doi: 10.2214/AJR.12.8830. Evaluation of novel disposable, light-weight radiation protection devices in an interventional radiology setting: a randomized controlled trial. Uthoff H1, Peña C, West J, Contreras F, Benenati JF, Katzen BT

The American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR, March 2011, Vol. 196:3 pp.611-615)