Radiation has been successfully applied to addressing a great variety of global issues; arguably most importantly that of medicine. Medical uses of radiation commonly include modern diagnostic and treatment techniques such as X-rays, radionuclides and radiotherapy (International Atomic Energy Agency, 2004). In the context of X-rays, the use of radiation is most recognised in four individually focused treatments, the first of these being the Chest X-ray. This particular diagnostic examination is used to confirm patients as fit for surgery or else distinguish diseases of the lung such as emphysema, pneumonia and lung cancer (The American Association of Physics Teachers, 2007). The X-ray picture is able to be printed though the use of specialized X-ray machines. These machines work similarly to everyday cameras however, instead of using light with frequencies within the visible spectrum, the machines use electromagnetic waves with much higher frequencies which are consequently able to penetrate through thicker mediums. (howstuffworks, 2013)‘Barium Enema’ is an examination of the intestines in which a small amount of radioactive material (Barium) is inserted into the body; showing doctors even the smallest of blockages through the use of a screen. Cardiologists also use a form of X-ray (an angiogram) in order to detect blockages. This works in a very similar manner to that of the Barium Enema. Mammograms are used to diagnose abnormalities such as breast cancer and use X-ray imaging to do so. They are very useful to doctors and patients alike as they can detect the abnormalities sometimes almost two years before a given patient may notice any changes to their body. Computerised Tomography (CT) scanning is used to recognise causes of abdominal pain and allows doctors to ‘see threw’ sufficient organs. An X-ray of the body is taken and combined with computer generated images to produce a two dimensional picture of the internal body (The American Association of Physics Teachers, 2007). In addition to the use of radiation in X-rays, radioactive materials are also useful in the context of nuclear medicine. In this case the radiation is often referred to as sample of radionuclides and is administrated into the patient through oral techniques. The medication works by forcing the patient’s body to become radioactive for a short period of time. The presence of the radioactivity in the patient’s body allows doctors to determine whether or not the person’s organs are functioning correctly. As well as the functioning of the body’s major organs, conditions such as interrupted blood flow and risk for infection can also be tested.
Apart of becoming a new patient at a dental office is taking an x-ray and some may have question along with taking an x-ray, like “will I be affected by the x-ray?” or “will I get cancer?”, “how long will it take” “are x-ray’s safe?”, the list goes on and on. So in this paper we will talk about different types of radiation affects such as affects on children and pregnant women as well as some things that may help reduce some of the radiation that may harm the human body.
According to Helibron and Seidel (2011) nuclear medicine began as a simple experiment in the early twentieth century by George de Hevesy. De Hevesy started the experiment by deciding to test the effects of radiation on living things, beginning with bean plants, then onto furred animals, and then continued onto finding the effects of radiation on the human body, when he did this he became the first person to ever use radiation on a human being. He along with his partner E. Hofer, in 1931, consumed Deuterium which they had diluted with tea and found that traces of radioactivity stayed within their bodies for between eight to eighteen days. This was the first known use of radiation on humans (p. 1). This was just the beginning though, as time moved on the use of nuclear energy advanced and as it advanced it began to bleed into more subjects than those that it had been used in before, such as, nuclear medicine. Although it has its drawbacks, such as nuclear waste, there are many different benefits to nuclear medicine. Examples of such would be advances in therapy and treatment of disease...
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...
Targeted radionuclide is among the important technological developments in the field of radiotherapy. It can be used as a solo procedure over the external radiation exposure and chemotherapy, though they can be used in combination if this assures optimal results. This procedure is highly advantageous over the conventional methods and should be considered as the choice procedure, especially in bone metastatic tumors. Among its main applications is its use in control of thyroid cancer, which shows a huge decreases in thyroid cancer rate and improve patient’s life style. Radionuclide therapy also shows its effect in pain palliative of bone metastasis. Both applications have proven to be easy to administer, safe, and effective.
Radiation therapy is a growing field that has not been around very long. This field works with patients that have many different types of cancer ranging from leukemia, lung cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, and brain cancer among others. Cancer can be effectively treated using surgical, chemical and radiation treatment or a combination of the three. Many advantages and disadvantages have emerged when considering the use of radiation therapy and these pros and cons should be discussed thoroughly between the Oncologist and patient before a decision has been made on a course of action. Special licensing is required to enter this specialized field of radiation therapy and can be obtained through special programs.
Radiology is one of the few so-called “physical-science”-based fields of medicine, making it a challenging and rewarding application of an academic interest in science. It combines advanced knowledge of human physiology with principles of atomic physics and nuclear decay, electricity and magnetism, and both organic and inorg...
Radiation therapy is the utilization of radiation in order to treat diseases like cancer as well as to detect other ailments that someone may have. Since the development of radiation therapy many advancements have been made both to the process of using radiation itself, which in turn increased its effectiveness for medical use, and to the study of other possible uses for radiation. The concepts behind radiation therapy are not overly complicated, but they are still revolutionary ideas that have greatly impacted society and people’s wellness.
As a starting point in CT diagnostic imaging the form of radiation used to provide an image are x-rays photons , this can also be called an external radiation dose which detect a pathological condition of an organ or tissue and therefore it is more organ specific. However the physics process can be described as the radiation passes through the body it is received by a detector and then integrated by a computer to obtain a cross-sectional image (axial). In this case the ability of a CT scanner is to create only axial two dimensional images using a mathematical algorithm for image reconstruction. In contrast in RNI the main property for producing a diagnostic image involves the administration of small amounts of radiotracers or usually called radiopharmaceutical drugs to the patient by injection or oral. Radio meaning the emitted of gamma rays and pharmaceutical represents the compound to which a nuclide is bounded or attached. Unlike CT has the ability to give information about the physiological function of a body system. The radiopharmaceutical often referred to as a nuclide has the ability to emit ga...
Preparing a patient for a nuclear medical procedure, a radioactive tracer material (or radioactive dye) is either injected or huffed through a mask. The camera monitors the dye and sees how it processes in your body, which the dye eventually collects in the part of the body which is to be scanned and because the tracer material gives off gamma rays, which are used as energy, the energy is then detected by the scanner. The devices work together to measure the amount of tracer active in your body to help produce special pictures to detail the structuring and functioning of your organs and inner body works (MassGeneral,2014).
There are numerous reasons as to why I want to pursue my dream of becoming a radiation therapist. The most important reason is because I love to help other people overcome any problem they are facing. However saving a patient’s life through radiation would be even more amazing. Not to mention, after obtaining the proper education, the salary I receive will be fairly high. Cancer has recently become a part of many families, including my own. I see what a few of my family members are going through and having to struggle with every single day in order to live to see another day, The struggles that they go through have opened my mind in many ways, I wish I was the one that they could come to for a chance of survival, but I can’t, so in order for me to help cancer patients fight for their lives, I will obtain the proper education, licenses, and possess the numerous skills needed by a radiation therapist..
I. Radiation therapy hasn't always been something everyone found to be safe,usable, or effective.It has been cosidered dangerous and sometimes fatal, some also believe radiation therapy will cause the patient to not to get better but to make get worse and very ill. Some people with open minds ponder the question does radiation therapy really cause you to get worse?Radiation therapy can do you good because it kills of cancer cells which could save your life depending on the severity of it. Radiation therapy doesn’t cause harm.
The role of the radiologist is one that has undergone numerous changes over the years and continues to evolve a rapid pace. Radiologists specialize in the diagnoses of disease through obtaining and interpreting medical images. There are a number of different devices and procedures at the disposal of a radiologist to aid him or her in these diagnoses’. Some images are obtained by using x-ray or other radioactive substances, others through the use of sound waves and the body’s natural magnetism. Another sector of radiology focuses on the treatment of certain diseases using radiation (RSNA). Due to vast clinical work and correlated studies, the radiologist may additionally sub-specialize in various areas. Some of these sub-specialties include breast imaging, cardiovascular, Computed Tomography (CT), diagnostic radiology, emergency, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), musculoskeletal, neuroradiology, nuclear medicine, pediatric radiology, radiobiology, and Ultrasound (Schenter). After spending a vast amount of time on research and going to internship at the hospital, I have come to realize that my passion in science has greatly intensified. Furthermore, both experiences helped to shape up my future goals more prominently than before, which is coupled with the fact that I have now established a profound interest in radiology, or rather nuclear medicine.
Nuclear Medicine is the use of radioisotopes for diagnosis, treatment, and research. Radioactive chemical tracers emit gamma rays which provides diagnostic information about a person's anatomy and the functioning of specific organs. Radioisotopes are also utilizes in treatments of diseases such as cancer. It is estimated that approximately one in two people in Western countries are likely to experience the benefits of nuclear medicine in their lifetime.
Radioisotopes have helped create advanced imaging techniques. Beforehand, X rays could only provide so much information such as broken bones, abnormal growths, and locating foreign objects in the body. Now it is possible to obtain much more information from medical imaging. Not only can this advanced imaging give imaging of tiny structures in the body, but it can also provide details such as cancerous cells and damaged heart tissue from a heart...
Radiographers provide essential services to millions of people. They deal with patients of all types and ages, from the very young to the elderly, as well as patients with special needs, such as visual or hearing impairments. Diagnostic radiographers produce high-quality images of organs limbs and other body parts to allow a wide range of diseases to be diagnosed. According to (The College of Radiographers -Registered Charity No 272505) May 2008. As a diagnostic radiographer, I am not confined to work in the x-ray department. 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. Wide ranges 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. (Medical Physics page 159-188)