Glossary:
• Collimation: The process of eliminating the peripheral region of the beam known as divergent rays.(7)
• Neonate: In the context of this document it refers to an infant less than four weeks of age, in the neonatal ward.(7)
• Mobile radiography: radiographic imaging of patients who cannot be moved to the radiology department and who are in areas—such as intensive and critical care units or operating and emergency rooms, they are taken using a portable x-ray machine to acquire the radiographs.(8)
• ALARA: an Acronym for the phrase As Low as Reasonably Achievable. Refers to obtaining diagnostically acceptable radiographic images with the lowest possible radiation dose to patients and medical staff.(8)
• Ionizing radiation: Electromagnetic waves that can overcome the binding energy of a particle and therefore ionize it. This is the process of releasing ions from an atom.(9)
• Radiation exposure: The amount of ionization in the air is caused by the level of radiation intensity. (10)
• Radiation Dose: It refers to the transfer of energy from the radiation to the interaction within the tissues of the
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Research question:
Why do radiographers not use adequate collimation when performing mobile chest radiography examinations on neonates regardless of their knowledge of the benefits related to the use of adequate collimation?
Research aims:
Determine the factors leading to radiographer’s use of inadequate collimation in neonatal wards whilst doing neonatal chest radiographs.
Research objectives:
I. Establish if radiographers have the prerequisite knowledge of collimation and how to apply it adequately.
II. Identify factors that lead to inadequate collimation.
III. To find out what has to be done to improve the collimation of the neonate chest
Plan your initial assessment so that you can use the position change and turning time with an assistant or auscultate the posterior chest with someone to help you turn and hold the immobile patient. Auscultate left lateral when the patient is lying on his or her right side, and vice versa. Document the findings based on the lung fields; do not describe the lobes because
Radiation was discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Roentgen during a scientific experiment. Roentgen, classified radioactivity into three concepts: negative, positive, and electrically neutral. Radiation- is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. Technology is created with radiation and humans are exposed to the aspect daily with tons or material; especially in the doctor’s office and everywhere else.
It is very important for sonographers to know the normal fetal thorax anatomy in order to find any abnormalities. The diaphragm separate the chest from the abdomen cavity which could be observed on sonography as an echogenic smooth hypoechoic muscular margin. The fetal thorax cavity size is normally slightly smaller than the abdomen cavity and this ratio remain constant throughout pregnancy. The mediastinum occupied the central portion
Furthermore, X-ray of higher energy than required for imaging is used for radiation therapy. The radiation therapy makes use of ionization radiation (and no images) for the treatment of diseases, such as
Radiographers are important members of the healthcare team; they are responsible for taking high quality images whilst their main concern is the care of their patients. Asking patients during a radiographic examination if he or she would like a blanket over their knees is an example of being person-centred; it shows compassion, thinking about things from the person’s point of view and being respectful. It also enables patients to be involved in their care by decision making, as a result promotes
There are not any gasps in the knowledge base and the author seems to be well informed about communication in radiography, from first view the content of abstract is well organised with clear rationale aims to perform a qualitative study (Bassett,2004).
Ionizing radiation is a form of radiation that can alter the structure of DNA molecules in living cells. It is a kind of energy produced by atoms that travels in form of electromagnetic waves. Sources of this form of energy are x-ray
Radiation exposure limits is the amount of ionizing radiation stipulated by legislation in which an individual may be exposed according to accepted values by the scientific agencies (ENS 4). There are stipulated amounts of exposure that are set for different types of persons. The exposure limit should be reduced in order to reduce the prevalence of medical effects on humans.
Ionizing radiationHelpIonizing radiationRadiation with so much energy it can knock electrons out of atoms. Ionizing radiation can affect the atoms in living things, so it poses a health risk by damaging tissue and DNA in genes. has sufficient energy to cause chemical changes in cells and damage them. Some cells may die or become abnormal, either temporarily or permanently. By damaging the genetic material
A qualitative analysis may be best suited to determining the allowances given by the reading radiologist in consideration of the diagnostic quality of radiographs. The first consideration may be to interview the physician regarding his or her expectations. For clarity, lets focus on chest x-rays. What anatomy needs to be included? Would a long or short scale of contrast be preferred? Would some signal to noise interference be allowed
The most important factor of the three is the amount of the dose that the body absorbs - the amount of energy which deposits in the human body. The more energy absorbed by the cells, the greater amount of biological damage occurs. Health physicists refer to the amount of energy absorbed by the body as the radiation
The effects of ionizing radiation include cell death, chromosomal aberrations, DNA damage, mutagenesis, and carcinogenesis and these are caused due to the direct ionization of cell structures, specifically DNA, or result indirectly due to the reactive oxygen species produced by radiolysis of water. The main contributing factor to such effects is the irreparable or misrepaired DNA damage in cells.( Desouky et al, 2015)
As an aspiring neonatologist, I became aware of the work of Dr. Jeffrey Whitsett on respiratory distress in premature infants. I have read some of his research that have been published in the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the New England Journal of Medicine. Premature infants can rarely breathe normally after birth without administering surfactant and its use allows infants as young as 24 weeks gestation to survive. Having volunteered in a neonatal intensive care unit since my senior year of high school, I have been able to witness physicians administer surfactant to neonates in respiratory distress while either on my volunteer shift or shadowing physicians in the unit. Attending the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine
The strategy is different in preterm infants compared to mature infants, children and adults. Management in infants and children usually depends on the size of the ductus. No particular criteria have been developed to define what is large, medium or small, but often the size depends on the degree of elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure and the magnitude of the left-to-right shunting. Thus if systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery is above 40–50 mmHg, the duct is said to be large; if systolic pressure is normal or not above 25–30 mmHg, the duct is said to be small. If the Qp/Qs is greater than 2:1, the shunt is considered as being large; If the ratio is less than 1.5:1 indicates the shunt is small. The sizing of the ductus arteriosus, an estimate of the left ventriclular volume overload, and measures of
There are three factors that control and minimise the amount, or dose, of radiation received from a source; time, distance and shielding. The combination of these factors