Timely diagnosis of tuberculosis and other lung diseases significantly increases the chances of a successful treatment and recovery of a person. One of the most affordable preventive studies is fluorography, which requires a minimum of time and preparation. In addition, the duration of fluorography is 1 year. Therefore, you often do not have to do it.
Why fluorography?
Fluorography is a type of X-ray examination that is widely used to diagnose pathologies of the lungs and cardiovascular system. It is affordable and does not require much time. There are even portable devices that are located inside a specially equipped cabin of a lorry, which allows it to be carried out on the road. This type of study is characterized by mobility, which is valuable for medical examination of the population in remote villages and small towns.
The validity of fluorography allows you to perform it no more than 1 time per year, so a person is rarely exposed to ionizing radiation. The image makes it possible to suspect the development of tuberculosis, tumor diseases and sclerotic changes in blood vessels. Fluorography displays some pathologies of the heart (for example, an increase in its departments in size), so that the patient can consult a cardiologist in time for a more detailed diagnosis and treatment.
What is the difference between this procedure and x-rays?
A fluorography scan of a lung is much less than an X-ray. But for preventive purposes this is enough (for example, to detect tuberculosis). In addition, it is performed free of charge in state medical institutions, and for x-rays you need to buy expensive film. Obvious deviations from the norm will still be visible, and in this case, the patient will be recommended an additional examination.
The disadvantage of standard fluorography is that the radiation dose during the procedure is 0.3 mSv, while with x-ray this indicator is 0.1 mSv. Therefore, it is undesirable to do it more than 1 time per year (although modern research involves the use of digital devices that reduce the dose of ionization). Observing the recommended duration of fluorography, you can protect the body from the harmful effects of the procedure. The radiation load received with it corresponds to the dose of radiation that a person receives every month from natural sources.
Inspection Duration
The validity of fluorography done as a preventive measure for a healthy person is 1 year. Help on this study may require:
- upon admission to the university (in some educational institutions with expired results of fluorography, they are not even allowed to attend the session, because they do not want to risk the health of students);
- when hiring (especially for doctors, teachers, educators and food workers);
- before surgery;
- during conscription.
The validity of fluorography for the maternity hospital is also important, especially for pregnant family members who will visit her after the birth of the child or be present at the birth. Also, a person will not be able to visit any public pool and many sports complexes until he presents a certificate of passing this study.
Fluorography during pregnancy: what you need to know?
The validity period of fluorography (in the maternity hospital will require a certificate of its passage from each family member) is important not only for the woman in labor, but for her husband, if he will be present at the partner birth. The period of validity of the results from this does not change - it is 1 year. The latest results of a fluorography of a pregnant woman are also recorded in the exchange card, but even if it is expired, no one will ask for it, much less force them to redo the image (since this can be dangerous for the fetus).
The validity period of fluorography for pregnant relatives is very important if they plan to visit her after childbirth. Considering that now mother and child coexistence is being increasingly practiced, the chance of risky contact of the newborn with pathogenic microorganisms is increasing. Women in childbirth can take them to a medical institution, so it is advisable for sick and unexplored people to avoid such places.
Study preparation
The procedure does not involve special preparation. The patient strips to the waist and passes into the fluorography booth. There, he needs to lean very tightly against the screen of the device and rest his chin on a special notch (the doctor or laboratory assistant will tell you how to do this correctly). Then the person needs to take a breath and hold his breath for several moments (at this time a picture will be taken).
The result of fluorography with a description in a regular clinic is ready, as a rule, the next day. But if the study was carried out not in a planned, but in an emergency, then a picture with a conclusion can be issued into your hands within 20-30 minutes after the examination.
Can a person be forced to undergo fluorography?
Most medical procedures and procedures are performed with the consent of the patient. He has the right to refuse certain diagnostic studies or therapeutic effects, but before doing this, he needs to understand the possible consequences. The validity of fluorography under the law is 1 year.
This study is also not carried out earlier than 365 calendar days from the last X-ray or computed tomography of the lungs, since they reflect the full picture of the state of the organs of the respiratory system. It is impossible to force to undergo the procedure earlier, as this can be harmful to health.
Refuse from the planned annual fluorography is not worth it. Since the post-Soviet countries have an unfavorable epidemiological situation for tuberculosis, it is better not to neglect preventive measures. Knowing what the duration of fluorography is considered optimal, you can significantly reduce the risk of adverse effects for the body.
Contraindications to the study
Fluorography is not performed for children under 15 years of age; if necessary, lung studies are prescribed x-rays (due to lower radiation exposure). Fluorography is also contraindicated in such conditions:
- pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- Severe diseases in which the patient cannot stand or lie down during the examination.
Annual fluorography is a good way to diagnose many diseases of the respiratory system and heart (tuberculosis, oncological processes, aortic sclerosis). Given the ratio of harm from exposure and information content, this procedure is advisable to take place annually. If you do not shorten the recommended intervals between diagnostic tests, the risk of undesirable consequences for the body is minimal, and the benefits are high. With timely diagnosed diseases, the patient's chances for successful treatment and full recovery increase several times.