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Do symptomatic radiographers provide evidence for 'darkroom disease'?
A M Nallon1, B Herity, P C Brennan
1University College Dublin, School of Diagnostic Imaging, Republic of Ireland.
Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England)
|May 5, 2000
Summary
This study investigated "darkroom disease" in Irish hospitals. Findings show radiographers experience similar symptom rates to physiotherapists, refuting the hypothesis that X-ray chemicals cause widespread illness.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Radiology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Previous studies suggested a link between X-ray processing chemicals and symptoms in radiographers, termed 'darkroom disease'.
- These earlier investigations lacked control groups, weakening the proposed association.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the 'darkroom disease' hypothesis by comparing symptom incidence in radiographers and a control group.
- To determine if occupational exposure to X-ray processing chemicals is associated with a higher prevalence of specific symptoms.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study surveyed radiographers and physiotherapists across 31 Irish hospitals.
- Participants (n=545) reported experiencing 15 symptoms associated with 'darkroom disease'.
Main Results:
- Radiographers reported a significantly higher incidence of only two symptoms: bad taste (P < 0.0001) and sore eyes (P < 0.001).
- These specific symptom increases were limited to three hospitals.
- Physiotherapists reported higher rates of sore throats (P < 0.01) and nasal discharge (P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Radiographers do not exhibit a higher overall symptom incidence compared to physiotherapists, a group not exposed to X-ray processing chemicals.
- The findings do not support the 'darkroom disease' hypothesis as a widespread occupational illness among radiographers.