Justifying indication

Under the justifying indication is understood in the radiation protection , the decision of a physician or dentist with the necessary expertise in radiation protection that and the manner in which radioactive material or ionizing radiation (. E.g. X-ray) on human beings in medicine or dentistry be applied.

Legal basis

This article or paragraph presents the situation in Germany . Help us to describe the situation in other countries.

Germany

The justifying indication is required both in Section 83 (3) of the Radiation Protection Act and in Section 119 of the Radiation Protection Ordinance (StrlSchV) for the use of radioactive substances and ionizing radiation directly on people in the practice of medicine or dentistry.

Requirements for the justifying indication

Radioactive material or ionizing radiation may be only applied directly on the people in medicine or dentistry, when a person is approved as a doctor or dentist, or is allowed to exercise the medical profession and the required for the respective area expertise in radiation protection has , has provided the justifying indication for this.

The justifying indication requires the determination that the health benefits of the use in humans outweigh the radiation risk. Other methods with comparable health benefits, which are associated with no or less radiation exposure, must be taken into account in the weighing up.

A justifying indication must also be provided if a referring doctor has requested it. The justifying indication may only be given if the doctor giving the justifying indication can personally examine the patient on site; The only exceptions here are in the field of teleradiology, for which, however, further requirements must be met.

Before use, the doctor providing the justifying indication, if necessary in cooperation with the referring doctor, must consult the available information on previous medical knowledge in order to avoid any unnecessary radiation exposure. Patients should be asked about previous medical uses of ionizing radiation that are relevant to the intended use.

Before using X-rays in medicine or dentistry, the doctor using it must ask women of childbearing potential, if necessary in cooperation with the referring doctor, whether there is or could be a pregnancy. In the case of an existing pregnancy or a pregnancy that cannot be ruled out, the urgency of the application must be particularly checked.