Health STEM Solutions

30/11/2020

Very happy to be sponsoring prizes for this event and the great cause it is supporting, Fairy Floss Friday. Tickets still available!

29/10/2020

The new website dedicated to our radiation safety and medical physics service, Medical Physics Specialists, is available now! Check it out here

From Radiation Safety to Best Practice Optimising patient outcomes for Medical Radiation Practices Learn More OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00 Saturday By Appointment Sunday By Appointment

01/10/2020

Something for our Melbourne followers!

Powered by SurveyManager (www.surveymanager.com.au)

24/09/2020

It was a pleasure to speak recently with Dana from Junior Doctor's Corner about the experience and impact of completing an MBA for those in the medical and healthcare industry!

Been thinking about doing an MBA to boost your career in Medicine? Don't do one without listening to this episode first! John shares his experience of undertaking an MBA as a medical physicist. He gives valuable advice on things to consider before signing up! Listen now: https://buff.ly/3951Ng1

09/07/2020

Almost as soon as X-rays were discovered by Wilhelm Röntgen in 1895, they began to be used for medical diagnostics 🦴.

However, it wasn’t until the 1920s onwards, thanks to the work of Edith Quimby, that the medical and scientific community began to understand safe uses of X-rays and other forms of radiation in medicine.

Edith’s pioneering research (along with Dr Gioacchino Failla) focused on the biological effects of radiation on human tissue – specifically how radiation penetrated the body. At this time, despite radium and radon being used for cancer treatment and other therapies, little was known about the effects of radiation on the body or the optimum radiation doses for treatment. Treatment doses were often determined by the radiologist exposing their own skin to the radiation and using a dose that caused their skin to redden (known as erythema).

Edith’s early research focused on how radiation penetrated the body, which included using beeswax to mimic human tissue 🐝. She was able to establish standardised radiation doses for cancer treatments by determining the proper dose of radiation required for cancer treatments by using an old system of radiation exposure called ‘rontegens per minute’. This helped to minimise the side effects from the radiation.

Her work also led to safer work environments for nuclear medicine practitioners. In 1923, she instigated the use of radiation dose film badges, which were strips of film given to laboratory personnel to monitor their radiation exposure; the beginnings of ARPANSA’s current Personal Radiation Monitoring Service.

She eventually became a full professor at Columbia University in 1954 and would later go on to research artificial radioisotopes and their potential applications for treatment in nuclear medicine.

So, happy birthday to Edith Quimby whose pioneering work created the safe radiation practises and standards that allow for the safe use of radiation in medicine treatment and diagnosis today 🎂.

19/06/2020

Ionising radiation is used in a range of medical applications, including the diagnosis of disease. CT imaging, or CT scanning, is used for its diagnostic accuracy and speed. But, what exactly is a CT scan and what are the risks?

CT stands for computed tomography – a type of X-ray imaging procedure that creates a three-dimensional (3D) image of the body that can be viewed at any angle. During a CT scan, the beam of X-rays moves in a circle around the body, which provides different views of the same organ or tissue in much greater detail than a traditional X-ray examination.

In children, CT imaging may be preferred to a conventional X-ray examination as it provides higher quality images, allowing for more accurate and enhanced diagnosis.

The principal risk from CT scanning is the higher dose of ionising radiation required compared to other imaging methods. Younger patients are at a greater risk of developing cancer as a result of radiation exposure due to more cell proliferation and longer life expectancy. However, the dose from an individual scan is low and the risk associated with radiation exposure from a CT scan is small compared with the risk of not having the scan and failing to diagnose an injury or disease.

ARPANSA actively engages with medical practitioners to help ensure that CT scans are used appropriately, that useful diagnostic information is obtained, and that radiation risk is minimised.

To learn more, visit https://www.arpansa.gov.au/understanding-radiation/radiation-sources/more-radiation-sources/ct-imaging-and-children

04/06/2020

Very useful information for all our clients that are users of medical radiation!

Do you use radiation at work? Did you know that all radiation incidents must be reported to the appropriate radiation regulator in each state or territory?

The Australian Radiation Incident Register (ARIR), records reported incidents and serves to raise awareness on where, how and why incidents and events occur. The register helps organisations and individuals who use radiation develop knowledge and strategies on how to prevent safety incidents.

While radiation incidents are rare, in Australia they can include medical radiation incidents; sources lost, stolen and found; incidents with UV and laser sources; industrial radiography incidents; and incidents related to the transport of radiation instruments.

ARPANSA’s Regulatory Services Safety Analysis Section reviews radiation incident reports sent in from Commonwealth, State and Territory radiation regulators. It then analyses all incidents collectively and reports on general radiation risks, incident causes and trends.

From data submitted to the ARIR, ARPANSA has identified a need for organisations to develop a more holistic approach to safety management that considers the relationships between technology, people and the organisational factors.

Understanding the culture for safety of an organisation is an important tool in supporting holistic safety management. ARPANSA has developed a custom safety culture maturity model and has conducted a study of our own safety culture. Further information is available at https://www.arpansa.gov.au/regulation-and-licensing/regulation/regulatory-integrity/safety-culture-assessment

To learn more about the reporting of a radiation incident, the ARIR and lessons learned from reported incidents, visit https://www.arpansa.gov.au/regulation-and-licensing/safety-security-transport/australian-radiation-incidents-register

14/05/2020

This week, we highlight our Primary Standards Dosimetry Laboratory (PSDL). This section of the agency provides calibration and measurement services to users of ionising radiation measurement equipment, including the Australian radiotherapy community.

Advances in measurement standards at ARPANSA mean that radiotherapy clinics can measure radiation more accurately, providing consistency in dose measurements; critical for the success of cancer treatment.

The PSDL section also maintains the primary standards for the dosimetry of ionising radiation for Australia.

In order to maintain the primary standards and provide NATA-accredited calibration services, ARPANSA uses a suite of radiation sources including a linac (medical linear accelerator),a Cobalt-60 teletherapy head, and kilovoltage X-rays facilities, which cover a range of radiotherapy treatments.

For more information on ARPANSA’s PSDL, visit https://www.arpansa.gov.au/our-services/testing-and-calibration/calibration/psdl