1RADIOGRAPHY Abstract Radiologyplaysanimportantroleinidentifyingtheprevalenceofseveraldegenerative conditions and associated comorbidities in geriatric patients. These techniques are usually administered, with the aim of distinguishing between healthy older adults and others who require treatment. This report will identify the need to developing a collaborative approach, while delivering patient centred care that is responsive and respectful to the individual needs, and preferences of each geriatric patients, while they are subjected to radiology techniques. keywords:geriatric, radiology, patients, collaborative
2RADIOGRAPHY Radiology and the subsequent exposure to radiation plays a particularly essential role caring for all elderly patients, in whom a high prevalence of diseases and their complex symptomatology are found to necessitate definitive imaging of the organs and tissues (Hayakawa et al. 2013). Radiation exposure is most commonly used to detect incidence of cerebrovascular disease such as, carotid atherosclerosis and is the most preferred choice of detecting health abnormalities after a transient ischemic attack. Furthermore, the geriatric patients are also subjected to radiology techniques to detect presence of cardiovascular abnormalities, respiratory diseases or peripheral vascular diseases. The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000 (IRMER) acts as a guidance on the good practices that must be followed in radiology. All medical exposures to radiations must be given proper justification, before the patients are exposed to them (GOV.UK 2018). Furthermore, the Society of Radiographers represents the radiographic workforce that works as a professional body to promote appropriate radiotherapy and diagnostic implementation of all patients. Owing to the fact that the geriatric patients remain at an increased risk of various harms due to the ionizing radiation, efforts must be taken to administer radiology techniques, in accordance to the standards and policies that are framed by the SOR. This will ensure safe work practice and will also promote the safety and integrity of the geriatric patients (Sor.org 2018). The Department of Health has also enforced several UK-wide radiation regulations that make it an integral legal duty of the radiation employers to obtain informed consent of all patients (including older population), before conducting any radiology technique (GOV.UK 2018).
3RADIOGRAPHY There are a range of psychological impacts that are created by common radiation techniques on the geriatric patients. Research studies have provided evidence for the fact that most geriatric patients often consider MRI and other techniques to be responsible for causing moderate or extreme distress (Suzuki et al. 2015). Immobilising the older adults forms an essential aspect of conducting the radiology techniques. This can be attributed to the fact that geriatric patients who frequently shake their hands, or are restless lead to development of blurred radiographic images, thereby necessitating a repeat exposure, which in turn increases the patient dose. Slightest movement of the body can compromise the radiology images. Thus, the elder patients should be immobilized in an effective way, such that the exact degrees of rotation of appropriate orientation of the body parts are maintained (White et al. 2014). Further efforts must also be taken to produce most diagnostic images that are possible, with least radiation harm to the patients. There are mounting evidences that ionization creates disturbing effects on the brain of the elderly people, thereby establishing strong correlation between exposure to radiation and an increase in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Hence, frequent exposure to radiation act as confounding factors in the development of severe neurodegenerative diseases (Begum et al. 2012). To conclude, distinguishing between geriatric patients, while imaging them is a major challenge faced by radiologists. Apart from the challenging positioning of all elderly patients, communication challenges and trauma also make it difficult to conduct medical imaging. Thus, effective collaboration between allied health professionals is required to manage the patients.
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