Radiation protecion knowledge in the undergraduate level for physics students

Transcription

1 Radiation protecion knowledge in the undergraduate level for physics students De Frutos-Baraja JM, Sánchez-Carmona G, Hernando-González I, Cid-Galache A, del Castillo- Belmonte A, Barrio-Lazo FJ, Pereda-Barroeta N, Iñiguez-de la Torre MP, Barquero-Sanz R, López- Lara-Martin F University Hospital of Valladolid Abstract Introduction Medical physics knowledge and the ionising radiations use with medical purposes are a matter of growing interest among students will be titled in physics University degree. To familiarize to students of Physics University degree with this field is considered important so much so that they relate part of that learned in the curriculum ruled as to show them a possible unknown professional field for many. To detect necessities in this field it is carried out an evaluation of knowledge that it help to program activities with those that to satisfy formative necessities in this field. Material and methods Detection of the formative necessities is carried out by means of the inquiry of an objective survey type test with multiple answers. The evaluation consists of 3 questions that can be classified in several areas. Answers of the students are analyzed for all questions, individually and contained by topics. The study is made with descriptive statistic by means of analysis of frequencies. Results Areas where better results are obtained they are the relative ones to risks of the ionising radiations and radiation protection in medical facilities. Discussion Global qualification of the test is acceptable being detected necessities in some areas, being, in our opinion but important those dedicated to correlate the physics and the radiation protection with the Medicine. However of the results we can observe that the activities should go guided to deepen in almost all the areas, so that when concluding their studies the students they know the bases of the employment of ionising radiations in the medical applications and their possible adverse effects. Conclusion Activities like the one pointed out is useful to detect formative necessities regarding the employment of the ionising radiations in Medicine in the students in physics University degree. Introduction As it is known, in Spain the access to the Medical Physics specialty is carried out by means of a residence system in acredited for teaching units [1]. This system has a three year-old duration divided in 3 areas: Radiotherapy, diagnosis for the image by means of ionising radiations [nuclear medicine and X rays diagnostic] and radiation protection [2]. Medical physics knowledge, radiation protection and ionising radiations use with medical purposes are a matter of growing interest among those titled in physics University degree. To familiarize to the students of the degree of Physics with this field is considered important so much so that they relate part of that learned in the curriculum ruled as to show them a possible unknown professional field for many of them [3]. Purpose 1

2 To detect necessities in this area it is carried out an evaluation of knowledge that it help to program activities with those that to satisfy formative necessities in this field. Material and methods Detection of formative necessities is carried out by means of the inquiry of an objective survey type test with answers multiple. Evaluation consists of 3 questions.althoug it is not divided several areas explicitly they can be identified. 1.- General concepts on radiations ionizantes 1.- More common origin of ionising radiations to those that it is exposed the man 2.- Magnitudes used in Radiology 3.- Detection of ionising radiations 4.- Interaction of ionising radiation with cells 2.- General concepts on radiation Protection 1.- External irradiation definition 2.- Radioactive contamination definition 3.- Radiation Protection definition 4.- Competent national organism in Radiation Protection 5.- Competent international organisms in radiation Protection 6.- Dose limitation system 7.- Variation of dose limitation system 8.- Protection methods against ionising radiations 9.- Worker s Acreditación for manipulating and managing radioactive facilities 1.- People's classification in a radioactive installation 3.- Radiation protection in Medicine 1.- Applications of ionising radiations different from Medicine and energy production 2.- Necessity of radiation protection in medical facilities 3.- Percentage of radiations that they come from medical irradiations 4.- Other radiations used in Medicine 5.- Medical applications of isotopes 6.- Medical applications of generators of ionising radiations 4.- X rays diagnostic 1.- Fundaments of X rays diagnostic 2.- Radiological risks of X rays diagnostic 3.- Medical works in X rays diagnostic 5.- Nuclear medicine 1.- Fundaments of Nuclear Medicine 2.- Radiological risks of Nuclear Medicine 3.- Medical works in Nuclear Medicine 6.- Radiotherapy 1.- Fundaments of Radiotherapy 2.- Radiological risks in Radiotherapy 3.- Medical works in Radiotherapy 7.- Medical Physics 1.- Medical Physcis works in physics of ionising radiations applied to Medicine 2

3 Answers of 39 students are studied. Answers of the students are analyzed for all the questions, individually and contained by topics. Qualification that would obtain each student and the group is also evaluated for each one of the areas and for the whole test. Results The study is made with descriptive statistic by means of analysis of frequencies. Table 1 pick up the percentage of the successes, separated by areas as well as the distribution of the qualifications that they would correspond to each area. table 1: Successes and qualifications in each area Area % successes in the area Qualification of the area Maximum Minimum Average Ionising radiations Risks ,3 8 Detection and measurement ,4 Radiobiology ,9 Foundations of radiation Protection - 7,5 5,4 Normative - 7,5 3,1 Medicine and Radiation Protection - 6,7 2,8 Medicine and ionising radiations ,3 7,7 X rays diagnostic 5 1 3,8 Nuclear medicine 1 1 5,5 Radiotherapy 36 6,7 8,7 Medical physics ,2 Total 2 6,7 5,2 In figures 1-6 are shown graphically the results of correct answers in each area separated by the questions like they are detailed in material and methods. The percentage of correct answers in the area of medical Physics was of 87%. General concepts of ionising radiations General concepts of radiation protection answers (%) answers (%) Figure 1 Figure 2 3

4 Radiation Protection in Medicine X rays diagnostic Figure 3 Figure 4 Nuclear Medicine Radiotherapy Figure 5 Figure 6 Discusión The paper of the physics inside the multidisciplinar team in the treatment of the cancer by means of radiotherapy whose physical, technological and biological bases plows very well-known is very defined for the characterization of the radiation beam, the quality assurance of the equipment and each patient's individualized clinical dosimetry [4-5]. It is also important the work of the physic inside in the field of the diagnosis for the image. Concretely the first developed field and on the one that more it has been investigated it is, possibly the diagnosis by means of rays X, also employees for radiotherapy [6]. The mission of the physic is also known in Nuclear Medicine centered mainly in the dosimetry of the procedures and justified by its physical foundations [7] and together with the medical physics technicians, radiographers, nuclear medicine doctors, pharmacists and radiatione chemists provide the necessary scientific and clinical skills to you operate yourself the equipment, carry out the requested patient investigations, develop new instrumentation, clinical techniques and computer software programs for image processing, monitor quality and deal with all aspects of radiation safety. With normal patient data. Also physicists are attracted by the image processing [8]. Ultrasound imaging is the second most popular imaging modality in medicine [the first being x-rays] and physics is presents in echografic examinations including the generation of ultrasound, basic interactions with material and the measurement of blood flow using the Doppler effect [9]. Another technique that uses physical means for the diagnosis of illnesses is the nuclear magnetic resonance [1]. Magnetic resonance is a remarkably flexible and powerful means of providing a window inside the human body. Expertise in the fields of medicine, physics, computing, chemistry and mathematics have been combined to produce exquisitely detailed images and spectra. Physicists can be justifiably proud of their contribution to this valuable medical tool [11]. 4

5 On the other hand, The role of the medical physicist is vital if ionising radiation is to be used safely in hospitals. Involvement in the fields of radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, diagnostic radiology, protection of the public [including environmental considerations], dosimetry and personal monitoring are some of the activities that the physicist can make in the field of the radiological protection [12,13]. Although like it has been seen, the presence of the physics inside the sciences of the health is constant it is relatively low the relevance of the relationship between the physics and the Medicine inside the studies of Physics Sciences in the University, at least inside the environment of the authors of this work. Activities like the proposal partly can palliate the current situation in which they should also play an important part the technologies of the information and so much Internet in the field of the Medical physics [14] like in the most general in the Sciences of the Health [15], because they have already demonstrated their validity for the study of basic disciplines of the physics [16,17]. Conclusions Global qualification of test is acceptable being detected necessities in some areas, being, in our opinion but important those dedicated to relate the physics and the radiological protection with the Medicine. However of the results we can observe that the activities should go guided to deepen in almost all the areas, so that when concluding their studies the students they know the bases of the employment of the radiations ionizantes in the medical applications and their possible adverse effects. Evaluation indicates that they are aware of the functions of the physique in the medical area. Activities like the one pointed out is useful to detect formative necessities regarding the employment of the radiations ionizantes in Medicine in the students of physical Sciences. References 1 Ministery of Presidency. Real Decreto 2/1997, de 14 de febrero por el que se crea y regula la obtención del título oficial de Especialista en Radiofísica Hospitalaria. BOE 52: [1997] 2 Ministery of Health. Guía de formación de especialistas. Radiofísica Hospitalaria Sendon-del Rio JR, de Frutos-Baraja JM, del Castillo-Belmonte A, Llorente-Manso M, Almansa J. Introduction to Medical Physics [Radiotherapy] for Physics Science Students. Physica Medica, Vol. XVII, Sup 4: 67 68[ 1] 4 Aird E. Radiotherapy: technical aspects and modern trends. Phys. Educ 31: [1996] 5 Oldham M. Radiation Physics and applications in therapeutic medicine. Phys. Educ. 36: [1] 6 Hessenbruch A. X-rays for medical use. Phys. Educ. 3: [1995] 7 Badawi R D. Nuclear medicine. Phys. Educ. 36: [1] 8 Dixon-Brown A, Soper N. Nuclear medicie: diagnosis and therapy. Phys. Educ. 31: 96-1 [1996] 9 Hughes S. Medical ultrasound images. Phys. Educ. 36: [1] 1 Keevil SF. Magnetic resonance imaging in medicine. Phys. Educ. 36: [1] 11 Andrews C, Simmons A, Williams S. Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. Phys. Educ. 31: 8-85 [1996] 12 Harrison RM. The role of the physicist in radiation protection in medical practice. J. Radiol. Prot [1989] 13 Harrison RM. The role of the medical physicist in radiation protection in hospitals. Phys. Educ. 24: [1989] 14 Woo MK, Ng KH. A Model for Online Interactive Remote Education for Medical Physics Using the Internet. Journal of Medical Internet Research 3,5[1]: e3 15 Parry D, Holt A, Gillies J. Using the Internet to Teach Health Informatics: A Case Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 1,3[3]: e26 16 Clinch J, Richards K. How can the internet be used to enhance the teaching of physics?. Phys. 5

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