Category / Topic Registry Trigger / Scenario Ultimate Mnemonic & Cram Shortcut "Registry Correct" Answer
PATIENT CARE, ETHICS & PHARMACOLOGY
Legal Torts Threatening a patient vs. touching “Battery = Body” (unlawful physical touching). Battery (wrong-patient exam = battery)
them without consent or Assault is the mental threat.
performing exam on the wrong
patient.
Legal Doctrines Employer or hospital held liable for “Boss Pays” / “Let the master answer.” Respondeat Superior
a technologist's negligent action.
Legal Doctrines “The thing speaks for itself” (e.g., “The thing speaks for itself.” Obvious error Res Ipsa Loquitur
exposing the wrong body part or that could not happen without negligence.
severe obvious neglect).
Patient Dressing Assisting an injured patient with Remove from UNINJURED side first; Dress the Remove clothing from uninjured arm first
undressing or dressing. INJURED side first.
Infection Control Cassette, lead marker, table, or “Fomite = inanimate Object.” (Vectors are Fomite (Indirect contact)
wheelchair transmitting a biological/insects).
pathogen.
Infection Control Reduction of pathogens in the Medical Asepsis = Everyday clean (reduces Medical Asepsis vs. Surgical Asepsis
environment vs. destroying all pathogens).
microorganisms. Surgical Asepsis = Sterile (kills everything).
Ethics & DNR A patient with an active Do Not “DNR ≠ No Care.” Complete ordered imaging Perform the ordered exam and monitor the
Resuscitate (DNR) order arrives for and comfort care; only withhold CPR/AED if patient
a diagnostic study. arrest occurs.
Renal Function Patient scheduled for an iodinated BUN (6–20 mg/dL) and Creatinine (0.6–1.5 Poor filtration / decreased renal function
Labs contrast study has elevated blood mg/dL) must be checked to rule out poor
waste markers. filtration.
Exam Sequencing Scheduling multiple ordered exams “Radioactive before Radiopaque.” Schedule Upper GI scheduled last (barium coats and
(Sonography, Nuclear Medicine, Sonography/NM first; Barium Enema next; obscures other exams)
Barium Enema, Upper GI). Upper GI is always LAST.
, Category / Topic Registry Trigger / Scenario Ultimate Mnemonic & Cram Shortcut "Registry Correct" Answer
RADIATION PROTECTION, DOSIMETRY & SAFETY
Radiation Units Differentiating Gray (Gy) and “A's have Grays, E's have Sieverts.” Gray (Gy) vs. Sievert (Sv)
Sievert (Sv) on the exam. • Air Kerma & Absorbed Dose = Gy
• Equivalent & Effective Dose = Sv
Radiation Units Mnemonic for all SI radiation units. CAGES Mnemonic: CAGES (C/kg, Gy, Sv)
• C = Coulomb/kg = Exposure
• A = Air Kerma = Gray
• G = Gray = Absorbed Dose
• E = Equivalent Dose = Sievert
• S = Effective Dose = Sievert
NCRP Dose Limits Annual occupational whole-body The “5-50-500” Rule (in mSv): 50 mSv (whole-body) / 150 mSv (lens) / 500
limit, lens of eye, and • 5 mSv: Fetal gestation total limit. mSv (extremities)
skin/extremities (NCRP Report • 50 mSv: Annual occupational whole-body limit.
#116). • 500 mSv: Annual skin/extremities limit.
Dose Limits: Student radiographer or Minors are held strictly to the General Public 1 mSv per year
Minors occupational worker under the age limit (1 mSv/year).
of 18.
Fetal Badge Wear Where a declared pregnant “Baby under the apron.” Waist level, under Waist level, underneath the protective lead
technologist wears her secondary lead. Primary badge remains at collar outside apron
baby dosimeter. lead.
Structural Barriers Required thickness of Primary vs. Primary (intercepts direct beam): 1/16" (1.5 1.5 mm (1/16 in) vs. 0.8 mm (1/32 in) lead
Secondary protective barriers mm) Pb, 7 ft tall. equivalent
(NCRP Report #102). Secondary (leakage/scatter only): 1/32" (0.8
mm) Pb.
Radiobiology Classification of biological effects Stochastic = “Lottery” (probabilistic, LNT, Linear Non-Threshold (Stochastic) vs.
(Stochastic vs. Deterministic). cancer). Threshold Sigmoid (Deterministic)
Deterministic = “Sunburn” (threshold, severity
scales with dose; cataracts at 0.5 Gy).
PATIENT CARE, ETHICS & PHARMACOLOGY
Legal Torts Threatening a patient vs. touching “Battery = Body” (unlawful physical touching). Battery (wrong-patient exam = battery)
them without consent or Assault is the mental threat.
performing exam on the wrong
patient.
Legal Doctrines Employer or hospital held liable for “Boss Pays” / “Let the master answer.” Respondeat Superior
a technologist's negligent action.
Legal Doctrines “The thing speaks for itself” (e.g., “The thing speaks for itself.” Obvious error Res Ipsa Loquitur
exposing the wrong body part or that could not happen without negligence.
severe obvious neglect).
Patient Dressing Assisting an injured patient with Remove from UNINJURED side first; Dress the Remove clothing from uninjured arm first
undressing or dressing. INJURED side first.
Infection Control Cassette, lead marker, table, or “Fomite = inanimate Object.” (Vectors are Fomite (Indirect contact)
wheelchair transmitting a biological/insects).
pathogen.
Infection Control Reduction of pathogens in the Medical Asepsis = Everyday clean (reduces Medical Asepsis vs. Surgical Asepsis
environment vs. destroying all pathogens).
microorganisms. Surgical Asepsis = Sterile (kills everything).
Ethics & DNR A patient with an active Do Not “DNR ≠ No Care.” Complete ordered imaging Perform the ordered exam and monitor the
Resuscitate (DNR) order arrives for and comfort care; only withhold CPR/AED if patient
a diagnostic study. arrest occurs.
Renal Function Patient scheduled for an iodinated BUN (6–20 mg/dL) and Creatinine (0.6–1.5 Poor filtration / decreased renal function
Labs contrast study has elevated blood mg/dL) must be checked to rule out poor
waste markers. filtration.
Exam Sequencing Scheduling multiple ordered exams “Radioactive before Radiopaque.” Schedule Upper GI scheduled last (barium coats and
(Sonography, Nuclear Medicine, Sonography/NM first; Barium Enema next; obscures other exams)
Barium Enema, Upper GI). Upper GI is always LAST.
, Category / Topic Registry Trigger / Scenario Ultimate Mnemonic & Cram Shortcut "Registry Correct" Answer
RADIATION PROTECTION, DOSIMETRY & SAFETY
Radiation Units Differentiating Gray (Gy) and “A's have Grays, E's have Sieverts.” Gray (Gy) vs. Sievert (Sv)
Sievert (Sv) on the exam. • Air Kerma & Absorbed Dose = Gy
• Equivalent & Effective Dose = Sv
Radiation Units Mnemonic for all SI radiation units. CAGES Mnemonic: CAGES (C/kg, Gy, Sv)
• C = Coulomb/kg = Exposure
• A = Air Kerma = Gray
• G = Gray = Absorbed Dose
• E = Equivalent Dose = Sievert
• S = Effective Dose = Sievert
NCRP Dose Limits Annual occupational whole-body The “5-50-500” Rule (in mSv): 50 mSv (whole-body) / 150 mSv (lens) / 500
limit, lens of eye, and • 5 mSv: Fetal gestation total limit. mSv (extremities)
skin/extremities (NCRP Report • 50 mSv: Annual occupational whole-body limit.
#116). • 500 mSv: Annual skin/extremities limit.
Dose Limits: Student radiographer or Minors are held strictly to the General Public 1 mSv per year
Minors occupational worker under the age limit (1 mSv/year).
of 18.
Fetal Badge Wear Where a declared pregnant “Baby under the apron.” Waist level, under Waist level, underneath the protective lead
technologist wears her secondary lead. Primary badge remains at collar outside apron
baby dosimeter. lead.
Structural Barriers Required thickness of Primary vs. Primary (intercepts direct beam): 1/16" (1.5 1.5 mm (1/16 in) vs. 0.8 mm (1/32 in) lead
Secondary protective barriers mm) Pb, 7 ft tall. equivalent
(NCRP Report #102). Secondary (leakage/scatter only): 1/32" (0.8
mm) Pb.
Radiobiology Classification of biological effects Stochastic = “Lottery” (probabilistic, LNT, Linear Non-Threshold (Stochastic) vs.
(Stochastic vs. Deterministic). cancer). Threshold Sigmoid (Deterministic)
Deterministic = “Sunburn” (threshold, severity
scales with dose; cataracts at 0.5 Gy).
