44:03:01:10.05.  Quality assurance program requirements. The licensee shall have a written, ongoing quality assurance program specific to the equipment and procedures that are performed in the facility to ensure consistent high-quality images with minimum patient exposure. The tests performed for quality control purposes must be included in a log containing acceptability limits, results of tests, date, initials of the operator or testing individual, and corrective action taken, if needed. Tests for film processing must include temperature, chemical replacement, processor operating parameters, and darkroom fog, and be performed on a routine basis. Any quality control test done on diagnostic tubes must be done annually and include source-image receptor distance (SID) accuracy, X ray and light field alignment, X ray and bucky alignment, and collimator dial accuracy. All dental intraoral, panoramic, tomography, and machines that have fixed SID and collimator are excluded from SID accuracy, X ray and light field alignment, X ray and bucky alignment, and collimator dial accuracy.

    A qualified expert shall measure the reference air kerma rate on medical fluoroscopic equipment for typical and maximum values. The measurements must be made annually and after any maintenance of the system that might affect the radiation exposure rate. The results must be posted where any operator may have ready access to them while using the fluoroscopic equipment, unless the equipment has a real-time display of air kerma. Results of the measurements must include:

    (1)  The roentgen per minute or milliGray per minute;

    (2)  The technique factors used to determine the results;

    (3)  The name of the qualified expert performing the measurements; and

    (4)  The date the measurements were performed.

    Source: 26 SDR 96, effective January 23, 2000; 50 SDR 41, effective October 11, 2023.

    General Authority: SDCL 34-21-4.1, 34-21-15.

    Law Implemented: SDCL 34-21-4.1.