Background
New potential hazards in the use of ultrasound (US) are implied in new diagnostic applications of
US, such as contrast enhanced US.
Aim
To assess the level of awareness and knowledge on safety issues of clinical use of US among
physicians who are members of the Italian National Society for Ultrasound (SIUMB)
Materials and methods
A questionnaire including 11 multiple choice quiz was sent by e-mail to members of SIUMB, who
preliminarly agreed to participate in this initiative. The answers were received anonimously and
statistically analyzed.
Results
The number of returned valid questionnaires was 97 (8 were considered not valid for less than 10
answers filled). Mean age of the responders was 44 years old, and the average time the physician
has been performing ultrasound examinations was 13 years. The principal workplace (70%) was a
public Hospital. Physicians seemed to know the general definitions of principal safety-parameters,
but few of them knew the definition of specific indexes. There was a general knowledge about the
safe use of ultrasound in obstetrics, but there was a poor knowledge of biological effects of US:
only about 37% answered correctly to questions about damage of vasculature of lung by high
Mechanical Index US investigation and about the increase of temperature under the probe,
according to the thermal indexes.
Conclusion
In conclusion the present findings indicate that greater efforts of National Ultrasound Societies are
warranted in disseminating knowledge about the bio-effects of diagnostic ultrasound modalities
among their members to prevent possible hazards.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unibo.it/oai:amsdottorato.cib.unibo.it:1134 |
| Date | 10 March 2008 |
| Creators | Righini, Roberto <1979> |
| Contributors | Bolondi, Luigi |
| Publisher | Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna |
| Source Sets | Università di Bologna |
| Language | Italian |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Doctoral Thesis, PeerReviewed |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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