Radiation safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Radiation safety - Essay Example For this reason, the Australian government has developed, implemented and enforced certain laws and regulations that guide behavior during the performance of duties. The medical field has particularly been given preference because procedural implications have a direct influence on the life of the patient. This paper evaluates the ‘RADIATION SAFETY ACT OF 1975-1999’. Specifically, it details the aspect of patient safety and measures that have been undertaken to ensure that this is upheld at all times. Undoubtedly, the Act has a very strong relationship with the medical imaging field and therefore influences related mannerisms and decisions. RADIATION SAFETY ACT 1975-1999 The Act addresses different issues related to the field of radiology in general concepts without placing particular emphasis on a specific field. It has five different parts that are further subdivided into various sections. Perhaps the most interesting faction pertains to part III named ‘RADIATION SAFETY GENERAL REGULATIONS’. In particular, section 19A addresses issues pertaining to abnormal or unplanned radiation exposure. In this respect, the Act acknowledges that patients, medical practitioners and visitors are all vulnerable to the exposure of radioactivity (UN 2000, p. 68). Besides detailing various forms through which the unplanned exposure occurs, the Act underscores that measures that need to be undertaken to protect the patients from the effects of the dangerous radiation. In their comprehensive review, Strom and Watson (2002, P. 375) indicate that during the radio therapeutic procedure, the lowest dose should be given to the patient. In this respect, it should be acknowledged that there are different doses that are received by the patient during the procedure. In particular, there are doses directed at the affected organ and there are other doses that reach the organs adjacent to this particular organ. Arguably, the organ that requires medical attention needs to receive the sufficient dose for optimal outcomes (Radiation protection in Nuclear Medicare, 2008). Thus if the radiation to that particular tissue is insufficient, the level of effectiveness of the procedure would be reduced significantly. On the other hand, measures need to be undertaken to ensure that doses reaching other issues are minimal. Also worth acknowledging for their contribution to patient safety during the procedure are the operational and design consideration. In his informative research, Bossuyt (2003, p. 8) asserts that the entire system and equipment need to be well positioned to ensure that the doses produced are sufficient, relevant and effective. For this reason, it is imperatively important to ensure that the equipment is in good condition to prevent incidences of leakages as well as accidental overdoses. In essence, the design as well as usage of the relative equipment needs to aim at preventing maladministration of the particular radiation doses because th e cases have serious consequences (European Commission, 1998, p. 71). Another measure that has contributed significantly to the protection of patients entails the calibration of the particular radiotherapy equipment employed during the procedure (Radiation Protection in Radiotherapy, 2008). In this regard, calibration as well as testing of the performance of the equipment needs