San Diego’s New Low Radiation X-Ray Machines

San Diego’s Rady Children’s hospital is the first medical building on the entire West Coast, and one of only five in the country, to have a new low radiation x-ray machine which decreases radiation exposure up to 90%.

The new device is being called the EOS, and some doctors asked the hospital stay at the machine does come with some limitations, however it proves to be very useful for treating children with spinal deformities or anyone requiring constant x-rays over a long period of time. As far as caring for adults, this device is typically used only for patients suffering from degenerative bone diseases.

It is important to understand that EOS is not a substitute for CT scans, as those enabled doctors to see inside organs and other bodily tissues. Studies have shown that high levels of radiation can increase a person’s chances of developing certain types of cancer. While CT scans pose great risks of radiation exposure, continuous x-rays can also pose a similar danger.

According to a 2009 report by the national Council on radiation protection and measurements, medical devices account for a bout half of the radiation exposure Americans receive each year. You may be surprised to learn that x-ray machines only account for about 5% of that amount. Other x-ray devices such as those used in dentist offices and LASIK San Diego clinics are included in the totals.

According to Dr. Kimberly Applegate of Atlanta, it is important that children are protected from this radiation as they tend to be especially vulnerable to the damage caused by radiation to their cells while their bodies are still growing – Lasik surgery San Diego.

This new EOS x-ray machine has set the stage in some of the latest advancements at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.