To raise awareness among veterinary professionals that every radiation dose of any magnitude may lead to increased health risks, and to promote best practice safety principles, IDEXX Laboratories Inc., with the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America and the American College of Veterinary Radiology, aim to reduce the risks of radiation exposure with a new initiative: Lower the Dose. The Lower the Dose initiative provides the opportunity for the industry to take a major step forward in improving in-practice radiation safety by directly engaging veterinary professionals at all levels through a website that provides timely and relevant radiation resources, news and safety programs, and state guidelines, according to Michael Q. Bailey, DVM, Dipl. ACVR, with IDEXX Telemedicine Consultants. At LowerTheDose.org, members can download posters, attend online courses and download templates all geared toward keeping active radiation safety at the forefront of daily practice. The website urges veterinarians, technicians and staff to follow the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle with three steps: minimize the time of exposure to directly reduce the radiation dose, double the distance between the user and the radiation source, and use absorber materials for beta particles, X-rays and gamma rays.
