Awareness of Patients Who Will Undergo 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging About Ionizing Radiation Exposure

Authors : Ogün Bülbül, Demet Nak

Pages : 60-67

View : 12 | Download : 17

Publication Date : 2025-04-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Aim: The use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) is rising. This study aimed to investigate the awareness of patients undergoing FDG PET/CT about the ionizing radiation exposure related to the examination. Material and Methods: One hundred and eleven patients who applied to our department for FDG PET/CT were asked the survey questions before FDG injection. Patients were asked to choose the most appropriate answer among the options. The effect of some factors on the patient\\\'s responses was investigated. Chi-square and Fisher\\\'s exact test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Approximately eighty-one percent of the patients who read the information leaflet (78/96) and 40% of the patients who did not (6/15) knew what radiation is (p=0.001). Eighty percent of patients with an education level of high school and above (16/20) and 42.9% of patients of secondary school and below (39/91) knew how long FDG would affect the people around them (p=0.011). Approximately 40% of the patients who were informed about the test by their physician (21/52) and 25.5% of those who were not (12/47) were aware that repeated radiation exposure increases the risk of cancer development (p=0.021). Approximately 54% of patients (60/111) reported radiation exposure in magnetic resonance imaging, 34.2% (38/111) in ultrasonography, and 81.1% (90/111) in FDG PET/CT. Conclusion: According to our study\\\'s results, radiation awareness was found to be higher in patients who read the information leaflet, had a higher level of education, had previously undergone FDG PET/CT, and were informed by the physician who referred them for the examination.
Keywords : Farkındalık, 18F-florodeoksiglukoz, iyonize radyasyon, pozitron emisyon tomografisi/bilgisayarlı tomografi