I worked at a facility where post rocessing or post-collimating was epidemic. They hired so many new grads who could not take an x-ray without opening up the cones and then using the computer to draw in a nicely collimated chest. This was everything that I had been taught not to do.
It started when we converted to digital. I would like to query anyone else that has this going on at their facility. I want to know how widespread it is. I know it exists here in Northern California and in New York City. The extent of which I am not sure. Email me with your comments and your area of the country. I will also send if you like a paper I wrote titled " Excessive Radiation in America".
Also note: Before digital and C/R we had a reject box where we threw our sub/optimal pics and went over it monthly with our supervisors. Now at the facility I worked at there was no Q.A. In other words, A three 3v L/S spine film is ordered. AP, Lat, and spot. New grad comes in and takes 6 spot films L5/S1 because she wants to get it "opened up". Patient is 25 yo male. Was she called to task on all the spot films? Noway because there is no system in place to check the number of rejects using C/R and D/R. The fault lies primarily at the Hospital Administration for allowing it to happen, the RADS for for being mum, but most of all, it is our responsibility to provide the lowest dose possible to our patients.
I have seen may times an inexperienced tech go up to the NICU and blast an entire infant, eyes, gonads, etc, then return to the unit and use the computer to make a nicely collimated chest x-ray. I get sick thinking about all this un-necessary exposure to a human being that is about ten times more radiosensative then the adult population.
I am hoping to hear from many techs who have seen this firsthand. Really not interested in the name of the facilty but rather how far this practice has traveled.
Mike Smith r.t.