Connect
MJA
MJA

Radiologists’ lament

Turab Chakera and Makhan S Khangure
Med J Aust 2008; 189 (11): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb02218.x
Published online: 1 December 2008

To the Editor: This letter of lament was prompted by a recently overheard complaint by a first-year intern to her colleagues that radiologists were not “obeying” her! Her comment led us to review her last five imaging requests (“orders”). After discussion with other radiologists, three of these requests were considered inappropriate.


  • 1 Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA.
  • 2 SKG Radiology, Perth, WA.



  • 1. Berrington de Gonzalez A, Darby S. Risk of cancer from diagnostic x-rays: estimates for the UK and 14 other countries. Lancet 2004; 363: 345-351.
  • 2. Thomson JEM, Tingey DRC. Radiation doses from computed tomography in Australia. Report ARL/TR123. Canberra: Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services, Australian Radiation Laboratory, 1997.
  • 3. Bairstow PJ, Mendelson R, Dhillon R, Valton F. Diagnostic imaging pathways: development, dissemination, implementation, and evaluation. Int J Qual Health Care 2006; 18: 51-57.
  • 4. Nuttall JL. Professional discretion, courtesy and plain good manners: an anecdotal and personal view. Med J Aust 2005; 183: 627-628. <MJA full text>
  • 5. Government of Western Australia Department of Health. Diagnostic imaging pathways. http://www.imagingpathways.health.wa.gov.au (accessed Nov 2008).

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.