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Large Animal Operations

The equine and food animal sectors of the veterinary profession rarely have the luxury of transporting the patient to the x-ray machine, so they must take the machine to the patient. Fortunately, technology has made the modern veterinary portable x-ray machine safer than it ever has been, but it is far from risk-free. In some respects, portable x-ray machines may be more hazardous than the fixed versions, even though they are usually less powerful. That’s because they can be "aimed" in any direction at any location, and because the exposure times are often much longer than fixed machines.

It’s important to remember that the rules for portable machines are the same as they are for fixed machines (e.g., registration, training and protective equipment). Just because the machine is moved from location to location, doesn't mean that any of the rules have been waived.

The Tomahawk Positioning Pole is a great tool for holding cassettes for large animal extremity radiographs.  The Tomahawk is available from Diagnostic Imaging Systems, Inc.

Certainly the biggest challenge when using a portable machine is with setup: aligning the machine, the part to be radiographed and the cassette at the proper distance, all without movement. All of this must be done while ensuring that the animal handler and any bystanders are safely out of the path of the x-rays! The temptation would be to have someone hold the cassette in place while the exposure is made; not a problem as long as the cassette is never held with the hand - even while wearing a glove. The use of blocks or a cassette holding pole such as the Tomahawk Positioning Pole is absolutely essentially. And of course, always make sure everyone is out of the way.

Anyone who is occupationally exposed to radiation, still needs a film badge when using a portable machine. The badge should be worn only during the actual taking of radiographs because exposure to sunlight can give false exposure readings. Staff members should never wear the exposure monitoring badge while outdoors performing activities other than radiology.

Improper storage or handling will damage safety devices and make them unsuitable for providing the necessary protection. In a mobile veterinary unit, storage space is scarce and sometimes inadequate, but proper placement and care of the x-ray gloves and apron is essential if these devices are to protect the wearer from harm. Find a place in the vehicle where the aprons and gloves can be stored without folding or creasing - folding them will certainly damage the glove or apron by causing the protective materials to crack.

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The information on these pages is excerpted from
The Veterinary Safety & Health Digest
Copyright 2005 Philip J. Seibert, Jr., CVT  All Rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced for distribution without prior permission from the publisher.