Knowledge and Awareness of Radiation Exposure and Safety Practice Among Patients Undergoing Medical Imaging in 3 Selected Hospitals in the FCT
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this study is to investigate the knowledge and awareness level of radiation and exposure and safety practice among patients undergoing medical imaging in selected hospital in Abuja. The researcher intend to investigate the effect of radiation exposure on the health of the patients
The specific objectives of this study are;
- To ascertain the impact of radiation exposure on the well-being of the patients
- To investigate the awareness level of the radiographer in treating the side effect of radiation exposure in the patient.
- To investigate the knowledge of radiographer in treating unpleasant side effects of radiation, such as overall fatigue, skin irritation
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Background information
The Ionizing radiation is a type of energy released by atoms that travels in the form of electromagnetic waves (gamma or X-rays) or particles (neutrons, beta or alpha). The spontaneous disintegration of atoms is called radioactivity, and the excess energy emitted is a form of ionizing radiation. Unstable elements which disintegrate and emit ionizing radiation are called radionuclides. All radionuclides are uniquely identified by the type of radiation they emit, the energy of the radiation, and their half-life. The activity used as a measure of the amount of a radionuclide present is expressed in a unit called the becquerel (Bq): one becquerel is one disintegration per second. The half-life is the time required for the activity of a radionuclide to decrease by decay to half of its initial value. The half-life of a radioactive element is the time that it takes for one half of its atoms to disintegrate. This can range from a mere fraction of a second to millions of years (e.g. iodine-131 has a half-life of 8 days while carbon-14 has a half-life of 5730 years). People are exposed to natural radiation sources as well as human-made sources on a daily basis. Natural radiation comes from many sources including more than 60 naturally-occurring radioactive materials found in soil, water and air. Radon, a naturally-occurring gas, emanates from rock and soil and is the main source of natural radiation. Every day, people inhale and ingest radionuclides from air, food and water. People are also exposed to natural radiation from cosmic rays, particularly at high altitude. On average, 80% of the annual dose of background radiation that a person receives is due to naturally occurring terrestrial and cosmic radiation sources. Background radiation levels vary geographically due to geological differences. Exposure in certain areas can be more than 200 times higher than the global average. Human exposure to radiation also comes from human-made sources ranging from nuclear power generation to medical uses of radiation for diagnosis or treatment. Today, the most common human-made sources of ionizing radiation are medical devices, including X-ray machines.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Description of the study area
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria located in the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It is a planned city and was built mainly in the 1980s, replacing the country’s most populous city of Lagos as the capital on 12 December 1991. Abuja’s geography is defined by Aso Rock, a 400-metre (1,300 ft) monolith left by water erosion. The Presidential Complex, National Assembly, Supreme Court and much of the city extend to the south of the rock. Zuma Rock, a 792-metre (2,598 ft) monolith, lies just north of the city on the road to Kaduna State.
At the 2006 census, the city of Abuja had a population of 776,298, making it one of the ten most populous cities in Nigeria. According to the United Nations, Abuja grew by 139.7% between 2000 and 2010, making it the fastest growing city in the world. As of 2015, the city is still experiencing an annual growth of at least 35%, still retaining its position as the fastest-growing city on the African continent and one of the fastest-growing in the world.[8] Abuja has witnessed a huge influx of people into the city; the growth has led to the emergence of satellite towns, such as Karu Urban Area, Suleja, Gwagwalada, Lugbe, Kuje and smaller settlements towards which the planned city is sprawling. The unofficial metropolitan area of Abuja has a population of well over three million, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, surpassed only by Lagos, Kanoand Ibadan. As at 2016, the metropolitan area of Abuja is estimated at 6 million persons, placing it behind only Lagos, as the most populous metro area.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the knowledge and awareness of radiation exposure and safety practice among patients undergoing medical imaging in 3 selected hospitals in F.C.T.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of radiation exposure and safety practice among patient undergoing medical imaging.
- Summary
The observations made in this study suggested that majority of patients have limited knowledge about exposure and safety radiation exposure, associated risks and modes of radiation protection. The study also posits that misconceptions or wrong perceptions about exposure risks that could potentially affect health care decisions were present among patients. The absence of curricula in basic radiation protection was conspicuously absent in the nurses training program, resulting in poor knowledge on the subject among nurses prior to assuming professional duties in radiology departments.
- Conclusion
Apparently, There are legal and ethical implications of exposure to ionizing radiation that need to be addressed, such as the right of a patient to be informed of the risks involved in the procedures to which he or she has been referred. Denying radiation safety may put both staff and patients at risk of undergoing increasing radiological investigations and thus increasing exposure to radiation hazards. Improvement in radiation safety awareness can promote the level of safety and health in the studied hospitals.
- Recommendations
Based on the findings from the study, it is recommended that provision of specific objectives regarding radiation and radiation protection in the curriculum as well as during ward rotation for radiographers is essential for enhancing the quality of healthcare and imaging service delivery from radiographers. This can change behaviors regarding health beliefs and attitudes prevalent within the health sector. Accordingly, specific training sessions in radiation hazards and radiation protection in the form of seminars should be organized on a regular basis by the hospital’s radiation protection board. Additionally, recertification of healthcare practitioners should be linked to successful completion of such seminars. The development of instructional intervention-based programs for nurses to improve knowledge of the hazards of radiation and the levels of radiation exposure from examinations and procedures is highly recommended.
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