Medical consultants at University Hospital Sharjah called for establishing a unified national registry of medical radiography. The consultants explained the role of such a national registry would be to archive patients' medical history, and facilitate follow up and management. This project comes in line with the latest advancement achieved by the medical sector in the country, approaching levels comparable to highest international standards.
The suggested registry has numerous benefits, both for patients and medical professionals. One of the most important benefits is minimizing the chance of duplicating radiographic investigations, thus protecting patients from unnecessary radiation exposure, which increases safety and reduces costs at the same time.
Consultants at University Hospital Sharjah stressed the importance of avoiding overexposure to radiation. They recommended replacing radiography with other less harmful techniques, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). They also warned about allowing non-specialist radiologist to perform these procedures, as any medical error in this domain can be costly to the patient's health.
Commenting on this, Dr. Consultant Abdulmoneim Abedeen, Head of the Radiology Department at University Hospital Sharjah said: "There are 4 types of medical imagery, two of which are associated with high risks. The safest procedures are ultrasound and MRI, and modern medicine recommends relying on these two unless necessary." "In light of modern advances in medical radiology, University Hospital Experts are exerting every effort to pass this knowledge to medical students at Sharjah University, who are exposed to clinical examination and further investigations from the first year. Sharjah University is the first medical school outside the USA to introduce clinical training in the first year," added Abedeen.
In a relevant topic, University Hospital Sharjah consultants highlighted a common practice in medicine, which is failure of physicians and specialists to inquire about the most recent investigations patients were exposed to before coming to them. Moreover, they noted that many Radiologists should be more are of the patient’s examinations and the accumulative dose patients are exposed to.
The consultants stressed the importance of avoiding handling old or obsolete radiography equipment. They also advised patients who experience symptoms such as diarrhea, vomitting, or generalized fatigue after being exposed to radiation to seek medical assistance, to exclude the possibility of radiation overdose.
The modern human environment is exposed to 4 types of radiation: Alpha, Beta, Gamma (used in medical imagery), and regular radiation. All types of radiation are associated with certain risks, such as skin burn, immunodeficiency, and various physical ailments. Symptoms of radiation overdose do not appear during or immediately after radiology procedures, but rather a while after. They all require medical help.