Q&A: Unleaded

Mary Greeley Medical Center recently discontinued the practice of placing lead shields (lead aprons or gonad shields) over patients, including pregnant women and children, during an X-ray exam. Whitney Garwood, director of radiology, provides some insights into this important process change. 

Why is Mary Greeley discontinuing the use of lead shields?

We’ve used lead shields for a long time. They were considered a way to protect people from radiation during X-rays. 

But medical technology is always advancing, and now extensive research has shown that radiation levels used in X-ray exams are low and the risk of harm is very small. In short, these shields provide no added benefit to patient safety. Not using them may, in fact, allow us to get a better image of the areas we are X-raying.

Modern equipment uses 95 percent less radiation than machines 50 years ago. Updated technology relies on sensors to use as little radiation as possible to obtain X-ray images. The use of lead shielding can block those sensors from working properly, which can result in higher radiation doses to the patient. This guidance is endorsed by the American College of Radiology. 

How are people responding to the change?

We make sure to explain the reasons behind the decision, and our patients have been supportive. Let’s face it—those lead shields can be heavy and uncomfortable.

Some people, especially those who must have multiple X-rays in a given period of time, may have concerns that not wearing any shielding could increase risk of infertility or birth defects. 

How to respond to these types of concerns? 

Again, there has been a lot of research on these topics. Studies have found that reproductive organs are not affected by the low-dose radiation produced by modern imaging equipment. There also isn’t any risk of infertility or birth defects. The amount of radiation required to cause infertility is more than 100 times the dose from a medical imaging exam. 

What about pregnant women?

The same research findings apply. Also, the use of a lead shield over a pregnant patient’s belly can reduce the quality of the exam and, in some cases, cause higher doses of radiation to be used. 

Do medical staff still wear lead shields during exams?

Yes, radiologic technologists will still wear the lead shields. They treat a number of patients on any given day and have more ongoing exposure to radiation during exams. 

I will also note that a parent whose child is having an X-ray exam in the room with them will be asked to wear a lead shield. This is to eliminate any unnecessary radiation exposure to them. Wearing a lead shield helps ensure your safety from unnecessary radiation exposure that does not provide you any medical benefit. 

Can a patient still request a shield?

Absolutely. We still have lead shields available for patients who request them, as long as it does not interfere with the exam.