Methods of Radiation Diagnostics in Examination of Pregnant Women at Different Gestational Age

Abstract

Currently, due to a variety of radiation examination methods, the question arises about the safety of fetal health when choosing a method of examination for pregnant women. The purpose of the review is to analyze and evaluate current data concerning the opportunities of using X–ray and magnetic resonance examinations in pregnant women at different gestational age, taking into account minimization of possible adverse effects. Materials and methods. Domestic and foreign sources of literature from 1987 to 2022 were used, they were taken from electronic libraries of scientific publications and medical databases, in particular "CyberLeninka", "Google Academy", "ScienceResearch", Elibrary.ru and PubMed. The review included the sources relevant to the topic of this review, which were searched using keywords such as pregnancy, radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, ionizing radiation, fetus, scintigraphy, radiation diagnostics, dose absorbed by the fetus, ultrasound diagnostics and positron emission tomography, with the exception of sources that did not mention the influence of certain diagnostic methods directly on the pregnant woman and the fetus. Study results. Ionizing radiation represents the greatest danger during embryo implantation (the first 2-3 weeks of pregnancy), as well as during organogenesis (from the 5th to the 8th week of pregnancy), when the anlage and development of the main organs and systems occur. MRI throughout the gestation period is preferable to any other study using ionizing radiation, but during the first trimester of pregnancy, a careful, reasonable and balanced approach to the use of MRI is necessary if there are indications and there are no alternative diagnostic methods. Conclusions. If there is a threat to life, there are no absolute contraindications to examination by radiation methods of pregnant women at any gestation period; however, it is always necessary to adhere to the principle when the potential benefit of the study will exceed its possible risk.