7003 Example

7003 Example 7003 â€" Essay Example > April 23, 2012.IntroductionMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a very common and reliable way of diagnosing patients. Due to advance in technology and detailed information about the diagnosis in question, many people have relied on this procedure for the detailed and quality images. However it has not been without challenges and some of the challenges are the burns that result from these procedures. RF burn is damage caused to the skin or other tissues and they are mostly caused by ionizing radiation or exposure to energy from radio frequency. During medical imaging high exposure to X rays can result to these burns. Body cells are damaged by ionizing radiation when they interact as this result to damage. The body reacts to this and what results is an erythema (Diaz, et. al, 2010 pp 413). This is redness around the affected area. In most cases radio burns are associated to cancer because of the ability of ionizing radiation to cause damage to DNA thus making the cell cancer ous. Radio frequency burns can be of first, second or third degree. Some of the burns are usually treated by plastic surgery. CausesMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered a safe diagnostic procedure. However excessive heating can result to injuries to the person who is undergoing the MR procedures. Some of the causes of these burns include: physiologic monitors, objects that are made from conductive materials, damaged coils and electronically activated devices. Heating of implants can sometimes be problematic if the devices are made from conductive materials whose shape is elongated or those that form loops with a certain diameter (ECRI Institute, 2008 pp 379). Excess MRI heating has been witnessed for particular types of catheters that have thermistors, guide wires, leads and also certain cervical fixation devices. The degree and nature of the health effects that result from overexposure to radio frequency is dependent on the intensity, frequency and exposure duration. Th e distance from the source of the radio frequency is also a determinant of the effect it causes. Shielding of these frequencies can also determine the effect they cause. One of the main effects of exposure to radio frequencies causes heating of body tissues because the body absorbs energy from the radio frequency fields. If a person is exposed to this kind of energy for long their body temperatures increases and they develop symptoms similar to those of somebody who have been involved in a physical exercise (Hardy Weil, 2010 pp 607). In rare cases or even the body is exposed to other heat sources at the same time a person’s body system may find it hard to cool due to the heat load and this ends up to heat exhaustion or stroke (Haik, et al, 2009 pp 295). Heat of specific positions for long which is also known as localized heating can be disastrous as it result to damage of the internal tissues. Non uniform fields are responsible of forming hot spots due to refraction of the radi o frequency fields within the body. This may also be caused by interaction between the radio frequency fields and the metallic implants in the body like aneurism clips and cardiac pace makers. Those body organs that have poor heat control are at a higher risk of damage resulting from heat. These organs include eye lens and the testes. Burns and shock result from flow of electric currents between the person and the conducting object when they are exposed to these fields (Jacob, et al. 2010 pp 848). There have been laboratory researches that have identified very low heating that result to tissue heating.