Applying Ethical Principles (Case Study Sample)

The Necessity of Radiobiology as an Essential Educational Unit for Medical Imaging (Medical and Operators), Undergraduate Medical, Allied Health and Nursing Courses By (Student’s Name) The Name of the Class (Course) Professor (Tutor) The Name of the School (University) The City and State where it is locatedDate Abstract Radiation has numerous applications in diagnostics and therapy in medicine, but since it is ionizing, there are associated dangers that must be appreciated by those involved in medical care. This review analyses and discusses the reason why Radiobiology must be delivered as a compulsory education unit in medical imaging, medical, allied health, and nursing programmes. It locates the biological impact of radiation harm, types of swift and latent harm to health, and the significance of radiobiology training in preventing damage. The present review of 40 peer-reviewed articles establishes the importance of radiobiology and the significance of adequate education on radiation’s effect on human cells and its dangers. Introduction and Background X-rays, gamma rays, and other ionizing radiation energies are considered positive and negative in the medical context as they possess high energy. Though they are useful for diagnostics and treatment purposes, they potentially dangerous to people’s lives (National Cancer Institute 2022). These effects may result in cell mutations, the formation of malignancies, and cell death because of direct and indirect DNA injury through ionizing radiation. However, the body tries to repair such damage, and there is always a limit beyond which such systems cannot be able to handle, leading to serious health complications. Given the threats posed by this ionizing compound, clinicians and other medical workers must understand the principles and characteristics of radiobiology. This is vital in identifying potential hazards preventing exposure and in formulating appropriate measures for utilizing ionizing radiation in clinical practice (Jasminka Talapko et al. 2024). It is high time that people understood radiobiology, which is necessary for medical imaging operators, medical students, allied health, and nursing students. This review evaluates the importance of radiobiology as an educational unit throughout the medical specialties. It will explore the impact of ionizing radiation on the biology of living organisms, the present modalities of student education, and the possible advantages of introducing voluminous radiobiologist education into undergraduate programmes. Discussion Reviewed Journal Summaries & Analysis Jasminka Talapko et al. (2024) categorise the biological effects of ionizing radiation, covering short-term and long-term injuries to human body organs and systems. This article explains how DNA can be damaged by direct injury and the formation of reactive oxygen molecules that trigger mutations, cancer, and cell death. The review points to protective measures and safety essentials in the reduction of exposure risks as integral. In a recent systematic review, Cornforth et al. (2021) evaluate the effects of ionizing radiation on chromosomes with specific emphasis on large-scale structures and genomic instability. The issues of DNA double-strand break formation and chromosomal aberrations, concerning their relation with cancer, are also covered in detail. The progress in cytogenetic analysis has also enhanced the studies of such structural and numerical changes. The impact of combined radiation changes in the genome and microgravity conditions in space are also highlighted by Beheshti et al. (2021). The article under consideration describes genetic and epigenetic changes in astronauts, with particular attention to violating the carcinogenesis factor of radiation. The indirect effects of radiation are also discussed in relation to the activity of reactive oxygen species. Moreover, Wang and Tepper (2021) present an overview of the side effects of radiation therapy and explain the pathophysiology of radiation-induced toxicity, risk factors, and preventive strategies. The article also includes information on acute and late toxicities, focusing on new radiation therapy methods that protect typical structures. Hart and Norval (2021) are interested in the systemic consequences of ultraviolet radiation, especially on the blood-implied immune cells. The review also points out that ultraviolet radiation also has disadvantages in that it can suppress the immune system and also help treat some skin disorders such as inflammation. Furthermore, Barazzuol et al. (2020) also describe the approaches for preventing and managing side effects tied to radiotherapy while focusing on contemporary technologies, including IMRT and VMAT. That is why the current review also focuses on the pharmacological management of side effects on different organs, such as salivary glands, the cardiopulmonary system, and the brain. Donaubauer et al. (2020) described how ionizing radiation differentially affects the osteoclasts and osteoblasts cells. The high dosage employed in cancer treatment is toxic to bone tissue. On the other hand, the low dosage used when treating chronic conditions is beneficial to bone homeostasis. This is highlighted in the review, where the indirect impacts of radiation on the bone microclimate are described as multifaceted. Huang and Zhou (2020) discuss the pathways of DNA damage response that are of significant importance for repairing the DNA breaks resulting from radiation. This article describes that these pathways could be exploited to make cancer cells more receptive to radiotherapy, thus increasing their efficacy and countering resistance in some forms of cancer. Current Practice and Analysis of Its Diagnostic Confidence Many educational systems for practicing medicine still need adequate radiobiology knowledge as an element of any medical-related programmes and degrees. Lack of information about ionizing radiation in education can result in an insufficient understanding of its associated risks, threatening the safety of patients and professionals (Jasminka Talapko et al. 2024). There could be knowledge deficiencies among clinicians or operators of medical imaging equipment, such that they cannot effectively apply safe measures or decide on the use of radiation. Diagnostic Confidence These studies have established that knowledge of radiobiology can affect the diagnostic confidence of clinicians and imaging operators. According to Voshart et al. (2021), a complete understanding of radiation’s biological consequences helps a professional evaluate the pluses and minuses of imaging processes to benefit patients. Lack of this understanding increases the chance of irradiation complications and the wrong treatment of radiation-connected diseases. Proposed New Practice Compared with the Status Quo Radiobiology as a Core Educational Unit Introducing radiobiology as an embedded tutorial in the medical, allied health sciences, and nursing school curricula would resolve the above issues of radiation safety ignorance. As Beheshti et al. (2021) noted, this would benefit all medical staff because it would ensure that decision-makers have a clear grasp of the biological impact of ionizing radiation and can, therefore, develop effective protective strategies. Other benefits of this new practice include safety since different practitioners would be considerate with patients and themselves, having broad knowledge of radiobiology safety measures, hence limiting radiation exposure (Voshart et al., 2021). Furthermore, informed clinicians in clinical practice would be able to make more informed decisions concerning ionizing radiation to diagnose or treat a sick person with due regard to the risks involved. In addition, the reception of radiobiology as a subject in the curriculum would enhance a common understanding of the dangers of radiation and measures in place to address the threats between different aspects of medicine. Through comparison, current educational practice needs to sufficiently prepare students in radiation safety as gaps are often found in this area. These gaps will be filled with the proposed practice of requiring students to take radiobiology courses (Voshart et al., 2021). This will go a long way to ensuring that physicians make informed decisions about radiation exposure in medical practices to enhance the quality of health care services being provided with fewer incidences of related diseases. With the radiobiology knowledge reinforced in the medical professionals, the new practice would improve the quality of operation and patient care and increase the level of cooperation among all healthcare workers by preparing them to face issues resulting from ionizing radiation. Praise & Critique Overall, the reviewed articles cover a wide range of issues regarding the biological effects of ionizing radiation, giving helpful information on the impact of radiation and the mechanisms behind it. These investigations provide an in-depth analysis of the short-term and long-term effects on different organ systems while exploring direct DNA impact mechanisms and the formation of reactive oxygen species that may cause mutations, cancer, and cell death (Huang and Zhou 2020). One progress discussed in these articles is the application of advanced cytogenetic methods, including FISH that help enhance the recognition of radiation-induced chromosomal alterations. This improvement in detection mechanisms helps evaluate the level of genomic alteration resulting from irradiation, which is implicated in carcinogenic processes. In addition, safety measures and new approaches to technique are highlighted as relevant in these studies concerning the need to mitigate the effects of radiation (Voshart et al., 2021). Advanced radiotherapy techniques like IMRT and VMAT are created particularly for higher accuracy in tumor localization than past regular radiother...