A female patient under 16 is having a lumbar spine X-ray. The parent wants to stay in the room. What should you do?

Prepare for the Diagnostic Radiography Interview. Practice with tailored questions and insightful explanations to boost confidence and succeed in your radiography exam!

Multiple Choice

A female patient under 16 is having a lumbar spine X-ray. The parent wants to stay in the room. What should you do?

This question centers on protecting people from radiation and using people only when necessary for the procedure. In an X‑ray, only those essential to obtaining the image should be in the room during exposure. A parent is not required for a lumbar spine exam, and their presence would expose them to scatter radiation without providing a clinical benefit for the imaging. Therefore, you should explain that there is a radiation risk and there is no clinical reason for them to stay in the room during the exposure; they should wait outside or behind shielding. The child can be comforted before and after the exam, and the radiography team will ensure the image is obtained safely and with the patient’s comfort in mind.

This question centers on protecting people from radiation and using people only when necessary for the procedure. In an X‑ray, only those essential to obtaining the image should be in the room during exposure. A parent is not required for a lumbar spine exam, and their presence would expose them to scatter radiation without providing a clinical benefit for the imaging. Therefore, you should explain that there is a radiation risk and there is no clinical reason for them to stay in the room during the exposure; they should wait outside or behind shielding. The child can be comforted before and after the exam, and the radiography team will ensure the image is obtained safely and with the patient’s comfort in mind.

More practice questions