preview

Ionizing Radiation Essay

Satisfactory Essays

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 …show more content…

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

Get Access