X-ray studies have firmly entered the practice of medical examination and diagnostics. The availability and informativeness of these methods have made them ubiquitous, and some even obligatory for preventive purposes. Fluorography is an examination that, upon reaching the age of 18, every citizen of our country is required to undergo once a year in order to prevent diseases, and it is this that causes the most criticism because of the fear of exposure. Is there any reason to be afraid of her? And what is the difference between fluorography and X-ray of the lungs?
What is X-ray radiation?
X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 0.005 to 10 nanometers. According to their characteristics, they somewhat coincide with gamma rays, but have a different origin. There are 2 types of radiation - soft and hard. The latter is used in medicine for diagnostic purposes.
BecauseX-rays cannot be focused; during the examination, an emitting tube is directed at the patient and a receiving sensitive screen is placed behind him. An image will then be taken from it.
Fluorography is performed in polyclinics for preventive purposes. How is this examination different from an x-ray? With the direct passage of rays, the structure of the organ is displayed on the screen, and with fluorography, its shadow, reflected from the fluorescent screen, is removed. Apparatus for these types of studies differ in design.
Definition of fluorography
Fluorography is an x-ray examination of the chest, in which the image in the picture is obtained by the reflected method. In the last decade, a digital version of the examination has become widespread, in which, instead of a snapshot, the result is displayed immediately on a computer screen, and then a description is made.
Indications for examination
This method is used for screening purposes, that is, when it is necessary to examine a large number of the population in order to obtain results of a high degree of certainty in a short time. Detection of tuberculosis cases is the main purpose for which mandatory fluorography was once introduced. What differs from X-ray this examination technically is the low resolution. However, it can be used to detect the presence of foreign bodies, fibrosis, advanced inflammation, tumors, cavities, and the presence of infiltrates (seals).
X-ray of lungs
Chest X-ray is a non-invasive methodexamination of tissues and organs with the help of beams of the same name. The result is displayed on film. This examination is also a radiological one. What distinguishes fluorography from a chest x-ray for a simple layman is the size of the finished result - instead of a small illegible square, a developed film of 35 x 35 cm is issued.
Indications for lung x-rays
X-ray as a more detailed examination is prescribed to detect inflammatory processes, anomalies of anatomical structures, if tumors of a different nature are suspected. It is rarely used to see the location of the heart in relation to other mediastinal organs.
What is the difference between fluorography and X-ray? The difference lies in the information content of the images and the detail of the resulting image. The classical radiograph makes it possible to see objects (seals, cavities, foreign bodies) up to 5 mm in diameter, while fluorography shows mainly large changes. In complex diagnostic cases, only an extended examination will be used.
Radiation doses
Many people are concerned about the harm caused to he alth during examinations. Patients are afraid that the passage of a routine or preventive examination may adversely affect their body. Of course, there is some harm from X-ray exposure, but not so serious.
Acceptable doseexposure per year without harm to he alth - 5 mSv (millisievert). With film radiography, a single dose is 0.1 mSv, which is 50 times less than the annual norm. Fluorography gives a slightly higher exposure. What distinguishes this examination from an X-ray is the rigidity of the rays passing through the body, due to which the single dose increases to 0.5 mSv. Compared to the allowable exposure for a year, this is still not so much.
Digital to replace film
The development of medical technology has affected, among other things, the quality of X-ray equipment. Digital devices are being introduced everywhere to replace the installations made in the last century, which displayed the result only on film. For patients, this innovation is good because radiation doses are noticeably reduced. Digital research requires less exposure than film. The well-known “hold your breath” during the examination is due precisely to the fact that when you inhale, soft tissues move, “smearing” the shadows in the picture. But it is with the film result that fluorography is mainly done.
What is the difference between an x-ray made by the usual method, an examination on a digital device? First of all - reduction of radiation exposure. The effective equivalent dose received during digital fluorography is 0.05 mSv. A similar parameter for a chest x-ray will be 0.075 mSv (instead of the standard 0.15 mSv). Therefore, for the sake of maintaining he alth, it is more expedient to choose more modern methods.survey.
Save time - the second answer to the question of how fluorography differs from a digital lung x-ray. To get the result, you do not need to wait for the development of the picture, so that later it can be described by a specialist.
Which method should I choose?
Some people, having received a referral for a preventive annual examination, do not know what to choose - an x-ray or a fluorography of the lungs. If there are no complaints about the functioning of the respiratory system, then taking a large picture does not make much sense. If it is possible to do digital fluorography - do it, it will save the body from an extra dose of radiation.
A doctor who suspects pneumonia or a serious disease of the mediastinal organs has no right to make a final diagnosis without confirmation by an instrumental examination. In the presence of pathologies, therapists and pulmonologists do not ask questions about what is better - an X-ray of the lungs or fluorography. For them, every detail that research can provide is important. Therefore, with a developed clinical picture of pneumonia, suspected tuberculosis or a tumor process, the patient is sent for an x-ray, more often in several projections.
If there are prerequisites for the development of pulmonary diseases in the anamnesis, for example, the patient actively smokes or his work is associated with harm to the respiratory tract (welding, metal casting, chemical industry), the examination should be carried out regularly to prevent serious pathologies from developing. Employees of tuberculosis dispensaries and hospitals twice a yearfluorography or chest x-ray is required. Your doctor will tell you what to choose.
Contraindications for examination
Due to the radiation effects on the body, X-ray examination of certain categories of patients should be carried out with caution or not done at all.
Some organs react sharply to radiation, giving clinical pathology. Sex cells are especially sensitive, so it is not recommended to over-irradiate the pelvic area. X-rays adversely affect the cells of the red bone marrow, disrupting their division and growth. The thyroid and thymus glands are also sensitive to all types of radiation, so during the examination it is necessary to keep the neck above the level of the radiating tube.
It is strongly not recommended to take x-rays for pregnant women, as it affects the development of tissues and organs of the fetus. An exception is made only when the life of the expectant mother is threatened. Extensive x-rays are not recommended for children under 12 years old, but it is allowed, if indicated, to take pictures of the limbs and maxillofacial region when using protective equipment.
