Let me give you an example from my work with veterinary students this week. There was a bad radiograph (x-ray to non-medical people). As we discussed why it was bad and what was done to correct it, I was told that the tube wasn't lined up with the bucky. Sensing some anxiety in using the word bucky, I (of course) had to ask, "what is a bucky?" After a few misguesses, (is that a word?) we came up with the fact that it was a name given to the tray that the cassette (which holds the film or digital capture plate). So the cassette holds the thing that captures the image produced by the x-rays coming from the x-ray tube and it was put in the "bucky tray". This brings us to the acknowledgement that a radiograph is either made with a bucky or tabletop. Then comes the question, "why?".. They figured out that when you put the cassette in the bucky there is a thing in the table called a grid. I'll shorten this by saying that a grid is a device interposed between the patient and the cassette to absorb radiation produced in the body of the patient when the x-ray exposure occurs. This point leads me to clarify something else for non-medical people. Have you ever wondered why, when you get x-rayed, that you are the only person in the room or that everyone but you is wearing protective aprons and other equipment? Does that scare you that these people don't want anything to do with the x-rays, but there you are in all your glory, like a shrimp on the barby??? Not to fear. First, remember that this is a rare thing in your life and these people go through this maybe 50 -70 times each day for all of their worklife. You should also know that they aren't protecting themselves from the x-rays that are being "shot" at you to make the image. Those are "strong" x-rays, most of which pass on through with no problem. However some of those x-rays are absorbed by your body and produce more, weaker x-rays. These are the dangerous ones because they are not strong enough to penetrate through, but are absorbed. Did I get off the track? Not really. Not only are those weak x-rays dangerous to workers who do it every day, but they also make the image "cloudy" and difficult to read because they "fog" the image. So the grid was developed to prevent this radiation from reaching the film or digital plate. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/grid If you did click on this link, you will see the word "bucky" as part of the name of the Potter-Bucky diaphragm. We're getting closer. Here's the story. In the "dark ages of radiology", the grid was introduced to reduce the effect of scatter radiation on a radiograph, but the "grid lines" were large enough that they covered some structures and introduced their own problem with radiographic interpretation. Dr. Potter and Dr. Bucky figured out that if the grid was moving during the exposure, it would still absorb the scatter radiation, but the grid lines wouldn't be seen. They developed the Potter-Bucky diaphragm which was mounted just above the cassette tray (So it really isn't a bucky tray, now is it?) The device would essentially shake the grid back and forth during the exposure. If you have a radiograph made in which you are lying on the table, you may feel a mild vibration instantaneously before and during the exposure. That isn't the sound and feeling of the x-rays frying your inards, it's just the bucky moving to get rid of the grid lines which are there to absorb the scatter radiation being produced. Did you catch the slip from the Potter-Bucky diaphragm to the bucky?? As typical in our society, we're too lazy to give Dr. Potter his due. I don't know why our predecessors chose to keep bucky and drop Potter. I guess it might sound a little strange to say you are taking a potter shot rather than a bucky shot????? Oh, when there is less that 10 cm of tissue being exposed, there isn't enough scatter produced to need a grid, so those images, like people hands and cat bodies are often radiographed "table top" where the cassette is on the table directly under the body part.
Now don't you feel better? Because this group of vet students (and I think I could make this story fit about any veterinary or medical school in the country) didn't understand the rich heritage of the word "bucky".. now you do, right? If you don't understand, please look it up. This may be a long way around to make my point, but the word bucky is only one small word used in our society daily where the meaning is meaningless. I have to say that when I asked "what is a bucky?", most said "I don't know", but the faces of many said "and I don't care". Here is my plea; Please care about the words you use and know what they mean before you use them. Challenge each other to communicate better by doing this. Your life will be so much richer, your conversations will be so much more meaningful as you pay attention to the words being used and have the guts to stop the speaker when you don't understand what they are saying. Otherwise you are wasting time for both of you. We tend to not want people to think we are "dumb", so we shrink from clear communication. The only way you will get out of that mode is to increase your vocabulary. And it's so easy. Don't blame it on your grade-school english teacher, some of the people I know who are the most effective communicators never made it past the 6th grade in school, but made a point of looking up words they didn't know. Nothing can stop you from knowing the meanings of words if you take the initiative. The answers are literally at your fingertips. One of the "new" words that I detest in the medical world, which has made it's way into society at large is "worsened".... damn it, it has become more severe. I hear it daily when working and last week heard in on a news cast. So if you hear me say "worser", you know that is my quiet protest against "worsened". I am stopping myself from launching an attack on the unnecessary "new" words that really don't mean anything. I will close with the revelation that another of my pet peeves is irregardless. I found out from Dr. Bahr, that the origin of that "word" was Al Capp's cartoon Lil Abner, which I devoured as a child. Take that Mr. President! If I've confused you, look up irregardless and the real word regardless! Oh well one picture of the effect of fog on seeing clearly. This is a scene from Lake Shelbyville, IL on a fogg
y and a clear morning. If you want to see the power of words go to: http://www.theworddoctors.com
y and a clear morning. If you want to see the power of words go to: http://www.theworddoctors.com
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