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Radiology Research Paper

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In the medical field, imaging modalities are constantly being updated and improved with the advancing technology of today’s society. Radiology is a technology-driven field and requires for knowledgeable radiologic technologists to be able to use this technology to people’s benefits. Technologists also have to be knowledgeable in other concepts such as procedures, radiation dose, patient positioning, pathology, radiation safety, and patient care. This is an important field in the medical world that many people believe is just as simple as pushing a button, when in reality, there is a lot to it.

A radiologic technologists (radiographers) mission is to produce good-quality diagnostic images for the radiologist to read and give …show more content…

Radiologic imaging uses ionizing radiation which can cause the ionization of matter. This is when the energy of the ionizing radiation interacts with an atom and causes electrons to disconnect from the atoms orbit. This process can cause an atom to become very unstable. The resulting unstable atoms can then react with surrounding molecules and cause a break in chemical bonds in the matter. Now relating this to the human body, this “means ionizing radiation can damage our DNA and other key molecular structures within the cells of our tissues and organs.” (Venosa) These changes from receiving radiation have the potential to create malignancies, abnormalities, and can increase the risk of getting cancer. This is why it is important to protect and shield patients with a lead shield which helps to absorb the radiation. Technologists should always try to shield the reproductive organs because they are the most susceptible and absorbable parts of the body when it comes to receiving radiation. It is especially important to shield pediatrics and adolescents, as well as those who are still in reproductive age. The radiographer also can adjust the amount of x-ray the patient receives based on the body part being radiographed, the patient’s size, and the pathology. For instance, the technique used for an abdomen radiograph would not be the same technique as a hand radiograph because …show more content…

In order to understand the positioning of a part, a radiographer must be able to identify all the bones and be familiar with where the anatomy lays. The different projections (PA/AP, oblique, lateral, etc.) help to demonstrate different structures of the bones. For all the projections in radiology, there are certain positioning and centering guidelines for each one. There is angulation of a part or x-ray tube in order to see a certain structure or to project a structure above or below the part of interest. There are also certain degrees of rotation to open the joints of a bony structure or to prevent superimposition of the anatomy of interest. Positioning is important in order to correctly see the anatomy and to identify what is normal and what is not. If the positioning is not correct, it could throw the anatomy off and what could potentially be there would not be in sight (like a fracture or cyst for example), leading to the patient being undiagnosed and not getting the proper treatment. The centering also varies for all of these projections as well. The proper centering of a part results in a better-quality image with a good exposure index (how much radiation the patient received.) If a technologist were to center off of the part and penetrate through just tissue and no bone, then the image will appear

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