Fluorography during pregnancy: indications and consequences

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

Pregnancy for any woman is an important and responsible phase in life. At this time, she worries not only about her he alth, but also about the life and comfort of the baby, who is actively developing in her. The development of the child is directly related to the lifestyle of the expectant mother (nutrition, activity). Negative factors also affect the he alth of the baby, one of which is considered to be fluorography.

Why do fluorography

Many women are wondering if it is possible to do fluorography during pregnancy. To answer this question, you should find out why this procedure is carried out. In order to timely detect certain diseases in Russia, annual examinations of the human chest are carried out. This is done with the help of a fluorographic study. If a citizen does not have a certificate, then he will not be hired, will not be enrolled in an educational institution, he will not even be able to get a driver's license. In addition to a preventive examination, the doctor independently prescribes fluorography for those patients who have symptoms of a lung disease.

When a woman is referred for an x-ray during pregnancy, she begins to worry, because it is believed that the X-ray exposure of the medical device can harm the fetus. Often girls, because of their prejudices, refuse such a study. Is it worth neglecting your he alth and refusing this procedure? What happens if you do a fluorography while pregnant? All these questions will be answered by reading the information below.

What is research about

Before understanding why fluorography is harmful, it is important to understand where this technology in medicine came from. The discovery of x-rays revolutionized medicine. Thanks to scientists, doctors could study the internal structure of a person, his organs. Also, with the help of x-rays, deviations can be detected in order to help people with various injuries and anomalies. Many years have passed since the discovery of X-ray radiation, but doctors still use it to diagnose a person's he alth condition.

Fluorographic examination is carried out using X-ray radiation, which is directed at a person. As a result of the procedure, the specialist receives an image of the internal organs on the screen, which is then transferred to the film. A radiologist using this image can write a conclusion about the presence or absence of pathologies.

Chest X-ray helps to detect several serious diseases:

1. Inflammation of the lungs.
2. Cancer in the chest area.
3. Tuberculosis.
4. Diseases of the heart, diaphragm and pleura.

Radiation doses

To find out where is the best place to get a fluorography, you need to know that during this study, a hospital patient receives a small dose of radiation (approximately 0.2 millisieverts). On outdated devices, the radiation dose increases to 0.8 millisieverts. Currently, film devices for fluorography are being actively replaced by more modern ones. They emit radiation no more than 0.06 millisieverts.

The difference between x-ray and fluorography

Before you know if it is possible to do fluorography during pregnancy, you should find out what is the difference between x-ray and fluorography. X-ray examination and fluorography are very similar procedures. The principle of operation is to irradiate with X-rays, but the exposure of the X-ray machine is much less, it does not even reach 0.3 millisieverts.

Chest fluorography is prescribed for one reason - the equipment for this procedure is much cheaper. If the fears of the attending physician are justified and pathologies are found in the patient, he can additionally be sent for an X-ray for a detailed study of the disease.

The X-ray device has an important advantage - it is much more compact than an X-ray, it can be placed in a truck or bus for on-site diagnostics.

Radiation Hazard

Despite the fact that during the examination of the lungs enters the human bodya small amount of radiation, many experts do not recommend fluorography during early pregnancy. Some doctors even insist on an abortion if the woman has had the procedure without knowing she is pregnant.

Gynecologists say that from the 1st to the 20th week from the moment of conception, the fetus is especially sensitive to external negative influences. Radioactive radiation can cause abnormal changes in an unborn baby. At a later date (after the 20th week), all organs of your future child are already fully formed. At this point, the risks of mutation are minimized.

The procedure is not so dangerous

Despite the warnings of doctors, hundreds of cases have been recorded in the world when the expectant mother did a fluorography in the early stages of pregnancy. Women gave birth to completely he althy children. To date, there is no document that confirms the infliction of significant harm to the he alth of the fetus after exposure for medical reasons. Even if pathologies were found in a child after birth, they can in no way be associated with exposure to x-rays. Despite all the above facts, doctors strongly do not recommend taking risks, because radiation is dangerous for human life, in addition, this physical phenomenon has not been fully studied.

What to do if X-ray has already been taken

What should pregnant women do if fluorography during pregnancy has already been done? First, do not worry and panic, becauseany experiences of the mother can negatively affect the developing fetus. While carrying a child, you need to think about positive things. To prove that you should not have an abortion immediately, here are a few examples that will help you calm down.

1. Many believe that women who have undergone x-ray examination at an early stage of pregnancy may lose a child. The fetal egg, exposed to radiation, will not be able to gain a foothold in the uterus, which will provoke a miscarriage. Such cases have occurred, but they are rare in medical practice. If the woman did not experience any complications after the procedure, then the embryo is not in danger.
2. The doctor repeatedly checks for abnormalities with ultrasound equipment. If they are found, he may offer to abandon the unborn child and have an abortion. It is not worth terminating a pregnancy in advance, you need to make sure that the fetus does not develop correctly.
3. The radiation dose during a fluorographic examination is too low, and the procedure only lasts 1-2 seconds. The chest area receives the main dose of radiation, while the pelvic organs are protected by special lead linings. Thanks to these facts, it can be argued that there is practically no threat to the he alth of the embryo.

If after the above information you are still worried about the passage of fluorography during pregnancy, you can consult a doctor. He will study the situation, conduct an examination and give his recommendations. As a rule, the doctor will advise you to wait for the planned ultrasound, which takes placeat 12-15 weeks of gestation. Also, in a medical institution, a lady can be sent for biochemical screening. After receiving the results from these procedures, doctors will be able to draw a conclusion about the condition of the fetus.

Other risk factors

In addition to the negative impact of fluorography on pregnancy, it is worth remembering that there are a number of other factors that threaten the life of an unborn child: various vaccinations made during gestation, antibiotics, drinking and smoking. However, such external threats rarely lead to abnormal changes in the unborn child if the above negative factors stop immediately after the expectant mother finds out about the pregnancy.

Specialists explain that if a negative factor took place in the first 12 days of a fetus's life, then there will be two outcomes. In the first case, there will be no harmful effects, the pregnancy will proceed without any complications. In the second case, a miscarriage will occur.

Regardless of what causes anxiety for the expectant mother - fluorography, bad habits or taking potent drugs, medical supervision, ultrasound and tests will reveal deviations in the development of the child in time. That is why it is necessary not to think about the bad when a new life has arisen inside you.

In the event that the gynecologist strongly recommends terminating the pregnancy, then you should consult other specialists before going to extreme measures. Doctors who are familiar with modern methods of treatment and have the necessary equipment will never offer you to do something irreparable if the threat of pregnancy isonly in the passage of fluorography at an early stage.

Medical indications

Fluorography for pregnant women at an early stage is prescribed only as a last resort when it comes to saving the life of the expectant mother. It is mandatory to undergo an examination if:

• a close relative was diagnosed with a serious illness after fluorography;
• pregnant woman had contact with a person with tuberculosis;
• a close relative was found to have a bad mantoux test result;
• close relative diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis;
• the pregnant lady is in or has recently visited an area where a tuberculosis epidemic has emerged.

Before thinking about the consequences of fluorography during pregnancy, it should be noted that all of the above cases are extremely rare in our country, so even if you are faced with one of these factors, first of all, you need to contact your doctor for professional advice. Only a doctor will be able to confirm or refute the fears of his patient by prescribing the necessary checks on the he alth of the woman and her unborn baby.

If the examination can reveal dangerous diseases in a pregnant woman, you should not refuse the procedure. Irradiation in meager doses is a lower risk than the consequences of, for example, pneumonia or severe tuberculosis. Such diseases aretimely intervention by doctors can be fatal.

If a woman did not have time to undergo a mandatory fluorography before the start of pregnancy, while she feels well, doctors have no suspicions of lung disease, then you can forget about this procedure until the birth of the child. However, it is worth knowing that a few days after the birth, she will definitely be sent for a fluorographic study. Without checking the condition of the pulmonary tract, they do not have the right to let a woman in labor go home.

X-ray protection methods

To minimize the risks of getting radiation, it is necessary to follow the recommendations during the fluorography.

1. Before the examination, it should be clarified where it is better and safer to undergo fluorography. You need to choose the clinic where the new modern equipment is installed. The radiation dose on digital devices is several times lower, therefore, they are much safer than outdated film ones.
2. If there is no alternative, then you will have to take a picture on the old equipment, while you need to warn the radiologist about your pregnancy. For safety, the patient is wearing a protective apron.
3. The doctor who writes you a referral to the X-ray room must also be notified of your pregnancy. In this case, he will decide on the advisability of carrying out this procedure. Perhaps this type of diagnosis will have to be replaced with a more gentle one or treatment will have to be postponed until a later date.

The decision to carry out the procedure is made by the patient himself, answering his own question, do you needwhether fluorography during pregnancy is in this case. Every woman should know that no one has the right to force her to undergo a fluorography or x-ray.