A questionnaire study about gonadal shield use of urologists

Abstract

Objectives: Our aim is to reflect routines, awareness, and consciousness level of urologists about usage of gonadal shield (GS) in Turkey. Materials and methods: Because of this objective a questionnaire which includes 15 questions was prepared. The questionnaire was delivered to urologists in a Turkish Urology congress. Data derived from 271 urologists by face to face interview were evaluated. Results: Participant were urologists (n=271), consisted of professors (n=33), associate professors (n= 36), assistant professors (n= 36), specialists (n=94), and residents (n=81). According to the data obtained from the questionnaires, 22% of the participants acquired their first information about GS as a medical student, 44% during their residency training, and 14% of them had no information about GS at all. Besides 64% of them did not read any medical article about this subject until that time, and 54% them practically hadn\'t seen any GS during their urology practice. In 82% of the hospitals where participants were working hadn\'t had any GS, and 18% of the urologists had indicated that GS was available in their hospitals, and they used them once in a while. Urologists responded favorably (20%) or unfavorably (80 %) to the question of ‘Do you find yourself or your colleagues adequately sensitive, and mindful about GS use? Conclusions: Sensitivity and awareness about use of gonadal shields among Turkish urologists are not at a desired level and for this reason, it is not used widely. The urologists should be informed in urological academic platforms about gonad protecting devices.

Keywords

• Gonad shield, questionnaire survey, radiation, urologist

Ürologların gonad kalkanı kullanımı hakkında bir anket çalışması

Abstract

Amaç: Amacımız Türkiye'de gonad kalkanı kullanma konusunda ürologların dikkat, farkındalık ve hassasiyet düzeylerini belirlemektir. Gereç ve yöntem: Bu amaçla 15 sorudan oluşan bir anket formu hazırlandı. Bu formlar bir ulusal üroloji kongresine katılan ürologlara dağıtıldı. Toplam 271 katılımcıdan yüz yüze görüşme sonucu elde edilen veriler incelendi. Bulgular: 271 katılımcıdan 33'ü profesör, 36'sı doçent, 36'sı yardımcı doçent, 94'ü uzman ve 81'i asistan idi. Katılımcıların %22'si bu konuda daha önce gonad kalkanı hakkında, bilgi sahibi değildi. %44'ü tıp fakültesinde, %14'ü asistanlık döneminde ilk kez bilgi sahibi olmuştu. %64 katılımcı gonad kalkanı konusunda hiçbir makale okumamıştı. %54'ü ise daha önce hiçbir gonad kalkanı modeli görmemişti. %82'si hastanelerinde böyle bir aparatın olmadığını veya kullanmadıklarını belirtti. %18'i ise gonad kalkanı kullandıklarını belirtti. Ürologların %80'i ''kendinizi ve meslektaşlarınızı gonad kalkanı kullanma konusunda yeterince dikkatli ve hassas buluyor musunuz? '' sorusuna hayır cevabını verdi. Sonuç: Türkiye'deki ürologlar arasında gonad kalkanı kullanma konusunda farkındalık ve hassasiyet yeterli düzeyde değildir ve bu yüzden kullanımı yaygın değildir. Ürologlar gonad koruyucu araçlar hakkında ürolojik akademik platformlar tarafından bilgilendirilmelidir.

Keywords

• Gonad kalkanı, radyasyon, ürolog, anket çalışması

References

1. Andrews SF, Horwitz EM, Feigenberg SJ, et al. Does a de- lay in external beam radiation therapy after tissue diagnosis affect outcome for men with prostate carcinoma? Cancer 2005; 104(2):299-304.
2. Mamut AE, Afshar K, Mickelson JJ, Macnelly AE. Surgical case volume in Canadian urology residency: a comparison of trends in open and minimally invasive surgical experi- ence. J Endourol 2011; 25(6):1063-7.
3. Ferrandino MN, Bagrodia A, Pierre SA, et al. Radiation ex- posure in the acute and short-term management of uroli- thiasis at 2 academic centers. J Urol 2009; 181(2):668-72.
4. Goodhead DT. Understanding and characterisation of the risks to human health from exposure to low levels of radia- tion. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2009(1-2); 137:109-17.
5. Hirschmann PN. Transfer of radiographs. Br Dent J 1999;187(9):463-4.
6. Richardson RB. Past and revised risk estimates for cancer induced by irradiation and their influence on dose limits. Br J Radiol 1990; 63(748):235-45.
7. Almen A, Mattsson S. The radiation dose to children from X-ray examinations of the pelvis and the urinary tract. Br J Radiol 1995; 68(810):604-13.
8. Mazonakis M, Damilakis J, Varveris H, Gourtsouiannis N. Radiation dose to testes and risk of infertility from radio- therapy for rectal cancer. Oncol Rep 2006; 15(3):729-33.

9. Sharp C, Harrison J. NRPB will provide advice on radia- tion. National Radiological Protection Board. BMJ 1995; 311(7015):1300.
10. Hohl C, Mahnken AH, Klotz E, et al. Radiation dose reduc- tion to the male gonads during MDCT: the effectiveness of a lead shield. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2005; 184(1):128-30.
11. Musolino SV, DeFranco J, Schlueck R. The ALARA prin- ciple in the context of a radiological or nuclear emergency. Health Phys 2008; 94(2):109-11.
12. Arrangoiz R, Opreanu RC, Mosher BD, Morrison CA, Ste- vens P, Kepros JP. Reduction of radiation dose in pediatric brain CT is not associated with missed injuries or delayed diagnosis. Am Surg 2010; 76(11):1255-9.
13. Dunn PM. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (1845-1923), the dis- covery of x rays and perinatal diagnosis. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2001; 84(2):138-9.
14. Hadamitzky C, Pabst R, Vogt PM, Radtke C. Treatment op- tions for head and neck lymphoedema after tumour resec- tion and radiotherapy. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2011; 64(9):1226-7.
15. Rogers LF. Dose reduction in CT: how low can we go? AJR Am J Roentgenol 2002; 179(2):299.
16. Wong CS, Huang B, Sin HK, Wong WL, Yiu KL, Chu Yiu Ching T. A questionnaire study assessing local physicians, radiologists and interns’ knowledge and practice pertaining to radiation exposure related to radiological imaging. Eur J Radiol 2012; 81(3):264-8.
17. Heyer CM, Hansmann J, Peters SA, Lemburg SP. Paediatri- cian awareness of radiation dose and inherent risks in chest imaging studies--a questionnaire study. Eur J Radiol 2010; 76(2):288-93.
18. Shiralkar S, Rennie A, Snow M, Galland RB, Lewis MH, Gower-Thomas K. Doctors’ knowledge of radiation expo- sure: questionnaire study. BMJ 2003; 327(7411):371-2.
19. McCusker MW, de Blacam C, Keogan M, McDermott R, Beddy P. Survey of medical students and junior house doc- tors on the effects of medical radiation: is medical educa- tion deficient? Ir J Med Sci 2009; 178(4):479-83.
20. Schindera ST, Treier R, von Allmen G, et al. An education and training programme for radiological institutes: impact on the reduction of the CT radiation dose. Eur Radiol 2011; 21(10):2039-45.
21. Liu X, Yan SW, Ding XP, Zhang N, Lu HO, Tang J. [Evalu- ation of radiation damage to the sperm DNA of radar opera- tors]. Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue 2003; 9(7):494-6.
22. Kasuba V, Rozgaj R, Jazbec A. Chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes of Croatian hospital staff occupationally exposed to low levels of ionising radiation. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol 2008; 59(4):251-9.
23. Clarke J, Cranley K, Robinson J, Smith PH, Workman A. Application of draft European Commission reference levels to a regional CT dose survey. Br J Radiol 2000; 73(865):43- 50.
24. Fawcett SL, Barter SJ. The use of gonad shielding in paediatric hip and pelvis radiographs. Br J Radiol 2009; 82(977):363-70.
25. Wainwright AM. Shielding reproductive organs of ortho- paedic patients during pelvic radiography. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2000; 82(5):318-21.
26. Theocharopoulos N, Perisinakis K, Damilakis J, Papa- dokostakis G, Hadjipavlou A, Gourtsoyiannis N. Occu- pational exposure from common fluoroscopic projections used in orthopaedic surgery. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2003; 85(9):1698-703.
27. Harrison RM. Low energy X-ray depth dose data for use in radiotherapy--comments on the review of BJR Supplement 17. Br J Radiol 1997; 70(837):946-9.
28. Wall BF, Hart D. Revised radiation doses for typical X- ray examinations. Report on a recent review of doses to patients from medical X-ray examinations in the UK by NRPB. National Radiological Protection Board. Br J Ra- diol 1997; 70(833):437-9.
29. Dunn J, Steginga SK, Rose P, Scott J, Allison R. Evaluating patient education materials about radiation therapy. Patient Educ Couns 2004; 52(3):325-32.
30. Stoeva M, Cvetkov A. e-Learning system ERM for medi- cal radiation physics education. Med Eng Phys 2005; 27(7):605-9.