Safety of Ultrasound Exposure: Awareness of Ultrasound Bioeffects among Saudi Sonographers

Abstract

Background: Ultrasound tends to produce biological effects on body tissues. Therefore, the application of ultrasound safety rules is needed in all ultrasound examinations to avoid bioeffects that may occur because of a high thermal index (TI) and mechanical index (MI). This study aimed to explore the Saudi sonographers' awareness of ultrasound safety and bioeffects.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, and the data was collected using an online survey google forms questionnaire disseminated through social media (Telegram, WhatsApp, and Twitter) as an electronic link. A total of 70 participants responded to the survey directly, and then, the data was analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science).

Results: Regarding the awareness of TI and MI, 64.3% of the participants were aware of TI and 65.7% of MI as safety ultrasound indices; moreover, 74.3% of the participants were aware of the ALARA principle "As Low as Reasonably Achievable." Participants' knowledge concerning more heat production in pulsed Doppler ultrasound modes was poor (31.5%). Most of the sonographers, i.e., 77.1% were aware of the relationship between the risk of activation and MI, and 58.6% of the participants were acquainted with the current FDA output limits. In comparison, 58.6% of the participants were aware of the bioeffects of ultrasound contrast agents. There was no significant correlation between the educational level and the degree of awareness of ultrasound bioeffects and safety (P-value> 0.05).

Conclusion: In this study, it was found that sonographers were aware of the theoretical principles of ultrasound safety indices and the ALARA principle, although they had poor knowledge of ultrasound bioeffects in Doppler mode.

Keywords: ALARA principle; Bioeffects; Doppler mode; Mechanical index; Sonographer; Thermal index.