BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - For as long as Aaron Wilson has performed X-rays at the UVM Medical Center, he has used lead aprons to shield patients from radiation. But in June, the UVM Health Network stopped using aprons on patients during X-rays.
“I think for the most part the community has received it pretty well,” Wilson said. “There have been a few patients that have come and questioned it, especially if they’ve come from another facility or even their dentist office where they’ve used lead.” Icu Door Outside
The network is one of the only facilities in the state to ditch the aprons, but many across the country did so years ago.
The change is based on a growing body of research showing lead aprons can do patients more harm than good.
“The assumptions we made, the conservative approaches taken decades ago aren’t really valid,” said Jessica Clements, the radiation safety officer at the UVM Medical Center.
On the surface, the exam won’t feel any different. If you go in for an X-ray, everything will look the same, except you won’t be wearing one of the lead aprons. But underneath, patients will get clearer X-rays and less radiation exposure.
Dr. William Irwin, the radiological and toxicological sciences program chief with the Vermont Department of Health, says aprons can obscure the X-ray image, meaning technicians must conduct multiple X-rays.
“If you retake the image, that means that there is a doubling of the exposure and doubling up the dose despite the fact that is a low dose. We really don’t want to take any extra images than we need to,” Irwin said.
UVMMC says patients can still opt to wear an apron if they prefer to, but they will be warned of the potential of excess radiation exposure.
As the change catches on, Irwin says the Health Department will issue new regulations for radiation on Jan. 1. They’re also working on a fact sheet to teach the public about the transition away from lead aprons.
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