Ultrasound biosafety : knowledge and practices of health practitioners who perform obstetric scans in SA

Abstract: Ultrasound is a useful imaging modality with a wide range of clinical applications and is generally perceived as being safe. There has been no evidence to date that ultrasound has caused any harm to humans or the developing foetus, however, with the number of indications for obstetric ultrasound examinations on the rise, the absence of absolute safety remains a concern. Despite its apparent safety record, ultrasound imaging involves the deposition of energy in the body and should only be employed when medically indicated and by adequately trained personnel. Studies probing end user knowledge conducted in various parts of the world, reported poor knowledge of safe practice. It was for this reason that a situation analysis in the SA context was deemed necessary to determine practitioners’ knowledge. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was to explore and describe the knowledge and practices of health practitioners, who perform obstetric scans, regarding the safety aspects of diagnostic ultrasound. A self- administered questionnaire was distributed at two national congresses (SASUOG and SASOG) in October 2013 and May 2014. Five hundred and fifteen questionnaires were distributed with final statistical analysis being run on 121 complete data sets. Inferential statistics were computed using the Pearson Chi square values, interpreted by p-values (p< 0.05 = statistical significance). Obstetricians accounted for the largest proportion of the professional categories (n= 86; 71 %). Almost a third of SA end users routinely performed Doppler studies in the first trimester. The majority held the opinion that up to 3 scans were appropriate for a low risk pregnancy while a general aversion to keepsake ultrasounds was noted. Most end users were familiar with the relevance of thermal and mechanical indices while 50% were familiar with the ALARA principle. Although SA end users demonstrated better knowledge than their international counterparts, a heightened focus on safe ultrasound practice is needed in to achieve satisfactory results.M.Tech. (Radiography