IONIZING RADIATION

Course overview

IONIZING RADIATION HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE A RISK FACTOR FOR MALIGNANCY IN THE FUTURE. EVIDENCE FROM STUDIES CONDUCTED FOLLOWING THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT, NUCLEAR TESTS, ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION POLLUTION, AND ACCIDENTAL INDOOR CONTAMINATION REVEALS CONSISTENTLY INCREASED CHROMOSOME ABERRATION AND MICRONUCLEI FREQUENCY IN THOSE EXPOSED TO IONIZING RADIATION. IONIZING RADIATION IS OF SIGNIFICANT CONCERN IN THE UNITED STATES DUE TO UBIQUITOUS AND OFTEN UNNECESSARY IMAGING OF PATIENTS WITH COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY AND X-RAYS. WITH THE ADVENT OF MULTI-SLICE CTS, THE INDICATIONS FOR THIS IMAGING MODALITY AND ITS USE IS INCREASING. ALTHOUGH CT SCANS ARE OFTEN HELPFUL FOR THE CLINICIAN IN MAKING A DIAGNOSIS, THEY ARE NOT WITHOUT RISKS. THIS RISK OF CANCER LATER IN LIFE IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN. IONIZING RADIATION IS CUMULATIVE. ONCE RECEIVED, THE EFFECTS REMAIN IN THE BODY FOR LIFE. AS SUCH, WITH INCREASED LEVELS OF EXPOSURE TO IONIZING RADIATION TO AN INDIVIDUAL, THE GREATER THE RISK OF MALIGNANCY LATER IN LIFE. BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE MORE YEARS OF LIFE REMAINING THAN ADULTS, THEIR CUMULATIVE RISK OF MALIGNANCY DUE TO IONIZING RADIATION IS HIGHER. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT IONIZING RADIATION AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON PATIENTS THAT HAVE RECEIVED RADIATION EXPOSURE.