Not knowing that she was pregnant, she did a fluorography: consequences

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Pregnancy is a special period in a woman's life. The expectant mother should carefully monitor her he alth, eat right and eliminate all adverse factors that can negatively affect the baby. One of them is radiation. Some women turn to the gynecologist with the question: "I did a fluorography, not knowing that I was pregnant." The opinions of medical professionals will be discussed further.

What is this?

A doctor may prescribe this procedure for many reasons if a woman did not know she was pregnant. Fluorography is a type of diagnosis that is carried out using x-rays. Translucent tissue creates a shadow image on the film. The radiation dose for fluorography is less than for x-rays. Although this indicator largely depends on the equipment itself. Modern equipment allows you to achieve higher image quality with less exposure.

Fluorography is performed to examine the lungs for the presence of various diseases. Using this technique, it is also possible to identify heart pathologies, tumor processes, infections and inflammations, structural changes in the chest organs.

In some cases, fluorography is used to clarify the diagnosis obtained by ultrasound. So, using this technique, you can determine the presence of bronchitis, heart pathology, tuberculosis, tumors in the lungs, adhesions in the pleural cavity. In addition, the image will show the consequences of spinal injuries in the thoracic region or ribs.

Features of the procedure

If a fluorography is made by a pregnant woman, this causes not unfounded fears. The fact is that x-rays can cause significant harm to the fetus. This type of radiation has a particularly strong effect on growing cells. Since the fetus consists of cells that divide at a high rate, it is they who are more susceptible to negative effects.

However, it is worth considering that exposure when using different equipment will be different. There are more and less dangerous ways to undergo such an examination. The new equipment has minimal radioactive impact on the human body.

It is worth noting that in one procedure a conventional film fluorographic apparatus irradiates the body with 0.5 mSv. Of these, 0.3 mSv falls on the study area. For comparison, in the process of computed tomography, a person receivesdose of radiation 5-7 mSv.

Modern equipment allows you to undergo the procedure with minimal risk to he alth. Digital fluorography is by far the safest type of examination using x-rays. For one procedure, the human body receives only 0.05 mSv. During pregnancy, this dose of radiation is considered relatively safe.

Doctors' opinion

If a woman did a fluorography, did not know that she was pregnant, this carries a potential threat to the fetus. At an early stage, it has practically no protection from adverse external factors. In the first trimester, all body systems are laid. Therefore, it is at an early stage that such a procedure can be dangerous.

Doctors agree that it is impossible to prescribe fluorography to a pregnant woman before 20 weeks. X-rays can adversely affect the processes of intrauterine development. Only in case of emergency and at a later date, the doctor may prescribe a similar diagnostic method.

Most of all, X-rays damage cells that are at the stage of division, affecting the gene apparatus. Because of this, chromosomal abnormalities can develop. Because of this, DNA chains are broken and deformed. Water in cells is partially ionized, which leads to the appearance of a large number of radicals. They have a high chemical activity. Such structures strike at nucleic acids, cell proteins. They are torn apart. The cells in this case are eithereither die or mutate.

Risk factors

If a woman did not know that she was pregnant, underwent a fluorography at an early date, this can lead to consequences, serious or not. Often there are no consequences at all. This is affected by the radiation dose, the state of the body of the pregnant woman, and the features of the course of intrauterine development.

A woman who has undergone a similar procedure may well give birth to a he althy child (which happens in most cases). But with the existence of a hereditary predisposition to the development of congenital anomalies, the risk of an unfavorable outcome increases markedly. The age of the parents over 35 is also considered a risk factor.

Consequences

In medical practice, it is not uncommon for a woman to do a fluorography without knowing that she is pregnant. Negative consequences can be as follows:

1. Abortion. In the early stages, miscarriage occurs more often. The fertilized egg is not yet firmly entrenched in the wall of the uterus. Nature provides a mechanism by which a mutated organism or one that has many damaged cells dies. The result is a miscarriage.
2. Missed pregnancy. The damaged fetus dies, stops developing.
3. Congenital pathologies. As a result, some organs and systems will not be able to form properly. More often these are minor deviations that are easy to correct after birth. Serious deviations will reduce the quality of life of the baby.
4. Oncological diseases. For an adult, the radiation dose is minimal, but for a fetus it is huge. The most commonly affected are the lymphatic and circulatory systems.

How to be in this case?

A woman does not always immediately know about the development of a new life in her stomach. Therefore, a situation may occur when a pregnant woman has done a fluorography. What to do in this case? You need to register with a gynecologist as soon as possible, explaining the situation to the doctor.

You need to provide information on which device the fluorography was made on. You also need to take a certificate about what dose of radiation is used for such an examination. After receiving the necessary information, the gynecologist will prescribe an ultrasound scan. This will make sure that everything is in order with the embryo. If there is some doubt, a consultation with a geneticist may be required. You will need to undergo an ultrasound at 11 and 16 weeks of pregnancy.

Don't worry in advance. Modern equipment emits a minimal dose of x-rays. According to reviews, in most cases, women who underwent fluorography at an early stage gave birth to he althy children. There is a probability of an unfavorable outcome, but more often everything ends well.

When is an early procedure indicated?

In some cases, it is required that a pregnant woman undergo a fluorography. In this case, the risk to her he alth is higher than the harm to the fetus. There are a few exceptional cases where the doctor prescribesx-ray examination for a woman carrying a child:

1. She has a progressive condition that cannot be diagnosed or otherwise tracked. These diseases include tuberculosis, oncology in the chest, acute pneumonia.
2. The pregnant woman had close contact with people infected with tuberculosis.
3. My husband was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
4. People infected with tuberculosis live in the same apartment as the pregnant woman.

Without prior consultation with a gynecologist, it is strictly forbidden to sign up for fluorography on your own.

How to protect yourself?

If a woman has a fluorography done without knowing that she is pregnant, this can lead to adverse consequences. To protect yourself, not to worry about the future fate of your unborn child, you need to undergo a fluorographic examination before conception. Pregnancy needs to be planned, so you need to get diagnosed with your partner.

If the conception was unplanned, unforeseen difficulties may arise. If there are indications for undergoing fluorography at an early date, this procedure will be prescribed to the woman. If she does not agree to undergo such an examination, the pregnant woman can write a refusal. But at the same time, the doctor will definitely inform her about the possible consequences of such an action.

If you still need to undergo the procedure, you should contact the clinic where digital fluorography is performed. The area of the uterus is also protected with a lead apron.

Alternative

Considering the situation in which the woman madefluorography, not knowing that she is pregnant, it is worth considering one more thing. It is almost impossible to replace such a procedure with another examination. Other diagnostic procedures can be performed. But if they partially confirm the diagnosis, only fluorography can finally make it.