Liz Lorusso, a professor at Fanshawe College School of Health Sciences, is being hailed internationally for her research on reducing radiation dose levels in X-rays. Lorusso worked with London area hospitals, capturing images using varying levels of X-ray radiation on mannequins with human bone anatomy. The results were astounding, showing today’s advanced digital imaging technology does not require the same quantity of radiation as film-based X-rays do.
“People are exposed to radiation through general X-ray imaging all the time, but using digital imaging we proved we could save patient dose by 50 to 75 per cent — without compromising diagnostic results,” Lorusso said. “Working in tandem with clinical colleagues at health care campuses in London and beyond, we confirmed it is possible to use far lower doses of radiation, and this discovery reinforces the ALARA (“As low as reasonably achievable”) principle every radiological professional follows.”
Since completing the study, Prof. Lorusso has made presentations at numerous conferences, most recently at the 2016 International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists (ISRRT) World Congress held in Seoul, Korea, where more than 1,000 delegates heard about the safety breakthrough. “People all over the world share difficulties in this practice with technological advances, and educating the next generation of global radiological professionals on how to fully embrace the principle ALARA is pivotal,” Lorusso said.
Back home in London, protocols are being reviewed as a result of the study. Prof. Lorusso says work could not have been done without the collaboration among the broader London area’s clinical teams.
