298

RADIATION STANDARDS, INCLUDING FALLOUT

hours on a subject. A lot of us believe that the best education is one
that is integrated into a whole picture.
I would much rather see a biochemist in the first year of medical
school make a passing reference to radiation safety in the course
of doing an experiment. That might be more effective than the
specialist spending 15 minutes talking about it as a subject. I think
this is an indication at least that the medical schools have looked atthis:
as something worth teaching and hopefully it is an indication that it
is being takenseriously in medical curricula.
Representative Price. Does this include actual use of radiation
machines ?
Dr. CoamsBertain. Usually the operation of machines is not taught:
to medical students during the period of their undergraduate school.
Most of the time that is done at the interne or resident phase.
Representative Price. On page 8 you mention that the Academy
of Pediatrics is discouraging conventional fluoroscopy of infants and
children by their members. Does this mean actual discontinuance
of use of fluoroscopes ?
Dr. CHampBeriain, Not completely because there are conditions
which infants and children have for which they should be fluoroscoped..
As a matter of fact, we fluoroscope them regularly in my own department for adequate indication. But the motion of the Academy of
Pediatrics was to discourage their members from doing it for conventional purposes and doing it themselves unless they had special training inthis. There are some pediatricians who are very highly trained
in radiological procedures, too, as well as certified radiologists.
Chairman Hortrteto. Why do you have to use a fluoroscope examination in place of an X-ray ?
Dr. CHampertain. Usually it is for things in which the physiological motion of the inside part is part of the diagnostic situation.
Such things as foreign bodies in the lungs, the fluoroscopy of the
gastrointestinal tract and such. For these and with the amplified
fluoroscopes that we are using now, we can feel relatively safe in doing
most everything for which fluoroscopy is of vital importance. However, I still would rather use the old fluoroscope for a sufficiently
serious condition rather than to say you shouldnotdoit atall.
Chairman Horirterp. Is it possible to protect the gonads in the
event of an extended fluoroscopic examination?
Dr. Cuampervain. It is, unless the part that you are doing is in
this area. I make the proviso because for some very important
urology studies done on children recently, for example, it is absolutely
impossible to protect the gonads. But this is a situation in which the
child’s health is so vital and this study is so necessary to it
Chairman Hotrrteip. You have to take a relative risk ?
Dr. CuamprrLain. Yes; that is exactly the point.
Representative Price. Doctor, in this modern age most of us assume
that almost every child today is in the care of a pediatrician. But
what do the records show as to the number of children, percentage-

wise, that have the services of pediatricians ?
Dr, Cuampberiatn. I don’t knowthe figure, sir. I am sure that it
is not the majority of the children in the country as a whole who are
taken care of by pediatricians regularly. I really don’t know the
figure.

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