I am going to be talking about medical x- rays, x-ray waves, how x-rays and visible light are different and the same, how you use x-rays and what are the ethical issues of an x-ray. Willhelm Conard Roentgen was the one who discovered x-rays in 1995. He knew that the new ray succeeded in forcing a way through most substance like the human tissues, but he did not know what the exact nature of ray is, which is the reason why he named the object X- (means unknown) ray. Medical x-rays are used to diagnose and treat diseases. X- rays are very high frequency waves and carry allot of energy. X-rays can past through most objects you can find. Doctors use them to look and see inside people’s bodies. What x-rays do is they are used to generate images …show more content…
Besides all the benefits of using x-rays to see inside our bodies or objects, there are also many ethical issues. Since x-rays are the most used medical imaging, everyone thinks that it is completely safe, but that is not true. There are a few risks when using x-rays. The biggest threat is radiation because x-rays use very high energy radiation that is how it’s possible to create an image of the inside of our bodies for us to view. The high radiation levels are dangerous because of over exposure occurs. With the creation of these mutations, there is a big chance that they will become cancerous and creat tumors inside our bodies. For example when taking an x-ray to create a radiograph, to examine problems in the cardiovascular system, the x-ray will have to travel through most of the body. Doing this there is a risk that parts of the body which aren’t strong enough or are not protected against the radiation, that it could be affected. Scientist and doctors have been trying to act against this by covering their target with a protective lead apron because x-rays can past through them. But the issue still remains, is it efficient that they can test that technique that could have a risk of giving them
The X-ray was first discovered in 1895 by a German physicist named W.C. Roentgen (“The Discovery”). W.C. Roentgen was working in his lab one day in 1895 and decided to send a high electrical current through a cathode ray filled with special gas. He realized that a dim green colored light was being produced, and decided to hold the cathode ray just above his wife’s hand. When he did this he observed that the light was able to penetrate human skin, but would leave all the bones visible. There is a picture below of the X-ray of W.C. Roentgen’s wife’s hand (“The Discovery”). He named it the X-ray because he did not know the identity of what kind of ray it was. He just named it X, because of its use in solving unknowns in algebraic equations (“The Discovery”).
The Atomic Age represents the most epic era and composed of diverse controversial issues in the human history. In the late 1945, President Harry Truman informed to drop two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These two bombs quickly yielded the surrender of Japan and the end the World War 2. However, the impact of it led us to debate whether this decision was actually right or so. First off, it would be hard to imagine how Japan would have been surrendered without the atomic bomb. Therefore to save many American lives, President Truman believed that it was his duty to end the war as soon as possible. But the bombs took away innocent lives and killed civilians indiscriminately. “Atomic Age America” written by Martin
Since the beginning of the propitious world, the core aspect that keeps it thriving is the propensity for people to discover innovations; however, progress of the past is, systematically, detrimental to the future. Not long after the revolutionary invention of the X-ray in the late 19th Century, an unprecedented number of medical examiners noticed (unknown to the time) radiation burns all over their body; decades later, an extraordinary surge in cancer cases had arisen. Perhaps, during the course of these years, scientists and researchers desired to further progress the x-ray (into the immense subsidiaries that are here today), and disregarded any flaws in the apparatus. This systematic inclination continues into the present time as Gary Marshall and Shane Keene notes in their 2007 article, “New technologies allow for patients to be overexposed routinely, and also allow for repeats to be taken quickly, making it easier for a technologist to multiply the patients dose without considering the implications” (5). The gaffes of radiology are present not only in the diagnostic setting, but also in the surgical and therapeutic areas. Working with radiation, it is imperative that the staff is aware of mistakes that are potentially fatal not only for patients, but themselves. It is especially important for medical radiologists to be cognizant of pediatric patients. The standard practice of pediatric radiology in the United States is to follow the step-by step formula from which adult patients are treated and diagnosed. There are copious consequences for following this technique since a child naturally has less body mass and a weaker immune and lymphatic system to manage radiation and its adverse effects. Medical radiology, being a...
The only risky part of my experiment is doing x-rays. X-rays are harmful because exposing to a lot of radiation from x-ray can cause radiation sickness. As I said, x-rays are form of ionizing radiation. When normal light hits an atom, it doesn’t change the atom in any significant way, but when an x-ray hits an atom, it knocks electrons off the atom to create an ion. Ion is an electrically-charged atom. An ion's electrical charge can lead to unnatural chemical reactions inside cells. Among other things, the charge can break DNA chains. A cell with a broken strand of DNA will either die or the DNA will develop a mutation. And if a lot of cells die, the body can develop various diseases. If the DNA mutates, a cell may become cancerous, and this cancer may spread. The mutation in a sperm or an egg cell may lead to birth defects. Because of all these risks, doctors use X-rays
In the radiology profession first you must write the patient’s file. This includes information about insurance, medical history, what the required x-ray is for and where it is going to be taken on the body. Writing in this way is similar to writing a small research paper. You must do research on the patients and there history and what insurance they have. Writing the report is important because the information must be accurate so the patient can be helped as much as possible. If the information about medical history is incorrect it can cause a huge problem for the patient. For example, if the patient is claustrophobic they would need to get an open room x-ray where the patient isn’t in an enclosed tube so they don’t have a panic attack and potentially injure themselves and others. It is very important to make sure the report has the correct area of where the x-ray needs to be taken. Having the wrong part of the body x-...
Due to the human genome project and other genetic research, tests for mutation which cause diseases have been developed. The list of these illnesses include several types of cancer. Doctors have estimated that as many as 3,000 diseases are due to mutations in the genome. These diseases include several types of colon cancer in which three different genetic tests have been already developed. Debates have arisen on whether these tests should be used regularly or not. Questions including the patients= rights of privacy and the possibility of loss of health or life insurance have been argued over in both the media and political arena.
Driver, (2013), described the DEXA scanner as a machine that produces two x-ray beams of high and low energy levels. Much like fluoroscopy, the x-ray from the DEXA scanner comes from underneath the patient, and the scanner has a very low x-ray dose. Earlier versions of the DEXA scanner emitted radiation which required up to five minutes to scan an area of interest, but the more advanced machines can take as ...
For decades, the effects of radiation has been studied by doctors around the world. X-rays are used in the medical and dental field to take radiographs of certain parts of a person's body. Some have become concerned of the long term and short term effects of having x-rays taken because of the radiation that is exposed. Since the rise of concern, studies have been done to find any type of link between cancer and radiation from x-rays. Specifically, in dental x-rays, researchers have been performing studies trying to prove that radiation from x-rays in the dental office can cause cancer .
Radiation has changed drastically over the past 118 years. Exposures are much quicker, digital imaging is a possibility in most hospitals, and most importantly, radiation protection. Many people have died, some without realizing that they were killing themselves, for the advancement of x-rays. Because of these advancements physicians are able to tell patients what is going on very quickly and without much delay. It is very important to remember the 3 cardinal rules: distance, time and shielding.
What would Wilhelm Roentgen, the father of X-ray, say about the technological discoveries in radiology today? Since the start of X-rays in 1895 significant advancements have revolutionized the field of radiology. One illustrates how different scanners have improved, in addition how picture archiving communication system can assist doctors, and finally the outlook on the future of radiology.
Today I’m going to inform you about X-ray Technology its history and how it been advancing since it’s been invented. Also will inform you how it is currently helping doctors and their patients.
When taking a radiograph there are some precautions that can be taken to reduce some of the radiation that can be exposed to a patient, what would be used on all patients is call a lead apron and thyroid collar, these aprons are used to protect the patients that may be a bit more radiosensitive and also may give the patient a little of reassurance that they will be protected. “Radiosensitivity is the relative susceptibility of cells, tissues, organs, organisms, or other substances to the injurious action of radiation.”
I will x-ray patients in the accident and emergency department, on the wards, in the intensive care unit and in the operating theatre when patients are too ill to visit the x-ray department. Diagnostic radiographers work as part of a team and may work alone, outside normal working hours, to provide x-ray services 24 hours a day. A wide range of imaging methods are used. These include ultrasound, MRI and CT scanning. Ranges of dyes or contrast agents are sometimes used to show soft tissue organs that would not appear on standard x-ray examinations, e.g. arteries, the bowel and kidneys.
I am attending Baton Rouge General School of Radiologic Technology to pursue an Associates degree through Northwestern State University to become a licensed radiologic technologist. I chose this profession because I thoroughly enjoy helping others and making a difference in people’s lives. Radiologic technologists are expected to give efficient patient care while following the doctor’s order to proceed with the X-ray examination. Radiology is the most important role in healthcare because with out having X-rays, the surgeons could not see inside of the patient’s body to perform surgery. Doctors can not predict what is going on inside of a patient without having an X-ray. I am interested in this being my future career because
Before the discovery of X-rays in 1895, it was impossible to look inside human body, without causing harmful side effects. The famous quote of Anna Bertha Ludwig - “I have seen my death” is a testimony to this. In ancient times, the only way to study internal human organs was the dissection of dead bodies. Additionally, this was also subject to availability or religious beliefs. Leonardo da Vinci made 240 detailed sketches between 1510 and 1511, which were way ahead of their time. Unfortunately, it could not be published, except for a small amount in 1632. Images aide in visualization of illnesses (e.g. a malignant tumor), which are impossible to observe from outside of the body. A surgeon must know the various attributes of the tumor like location and size, before she can operate on it. Similarly an oncologist needs this information to decide the course of treatment e.g. tumor size and metabolic activity may be needed to determine the number of chemotherapy sessions. With images, all this information can be obtained without cutting open the patient. And what’s remarkable is that u...