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K J Krueger

Publications and source records attributed to K J Krueger.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Radiation exposure during gastroenterologic fluoroscopy: risk assessment for pregnant workers.

With more females in childbearing years participating in fluoroscopic examinations, safety guidelines need to be evaluated. Present recommendations suggest limiting fetal irradiation to less than 500 mrem (0.5 rad) during gestation, and to avoid doses above 100 mrem (0.1 rad) from 8 to 15 wk postconception. The average radiation dose delivered per case was monitored during 10 therapeutic biliary procedures with lithium fluoride dosimeters worn at the endoscopist's collar, over the suprapubic region outside a knee-length 0.5-mm leaded equivalent apron, and inside the apron over the mid-pelvis. A short survey of 15 female technicians and physicians was conducted to gather their opinions about working in fluoroscopy during pregnancy. We found that radiation doses beneath the leaded apron were comparable to environmental exposure. The dose measured at the endoscopist's collar was 0.083 mrem/min. The dose over the pelvis was 0.044 mrem/min. The survey revealed that 13 of those interviewed would not feel safe working near fluoroscopy, and 12 wished to be excluded from fluoroscopy if they became pregnant. We conclude that a high level of anxiety regarding fetal safety exists among females participating in fluoroscopic procedures. In this study, with proper use of standard safety equipment, radiation exposure does not exceed those levels currently recommended to avoid during pregnancy.

Adult↗

Hepatic infarction associated with eclampsia.

Pregnancy-related liver diseases are complex in presentation and oftentimes confusing to clinicians, leading to misdiagnoses and unwarranted or delayed therapies. The exact pathogenesis of these disorders and their relationship to pre-eclampsia/eclampsia is unclear, thus making categorization difficult. We present a patient who in the third trimester of pregnancy developed severe abdominal pain, fever and transaminases greater than 30 times normal. The patient's laboratory data, abdominal CT scan, abdominal MRI scan, liver-spleen scan and liver biopsy performed 28 days postpartum subsequently confirmed the diagnosis of hepatic infarction. Hepatic infarction is a rare complication of late pregnancy usually associated with severe eclampsia that has distinctive histologic and laboratory findings. Recognition of infarction as a separate entity among the spectrum of the pregnancy-related liver disorders should help avoid unneeded delay in diagnosis or inappropriate treatment of these critically ill patients.

Adolescent↗