Ethical considerations on ionizing radiation and radiological protection in relation to nuclear cardiology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12706655Keywords:
ionizing radiation, medical ethics, myocardial perfusion imaging, radiation effects, shielding against radiationAbstract
Introduction: patients and healthcare personnel are exposed daily to ionizing radiation, from which they must be protected. In practice, radiation protection involves ethical aspects that cannot be ignored by both.
Objective: to describe some ethical aspects of the use of ionizing radiation and radiological protection in nuclear medicine, with emphasis on the specialty of cardiology.
Methods: a review in the PubMed, Medline, SciELO and LILACS databases was carried out using keywords and DeCS/MeSh terms. Forty-three articles in Spanish and English were selected (26 reviews, nine original articles, and eight articles with recommendations or clinical practice guidelines). Those that presented basic concepts, ethical foundations, and analysis on radiological protection were chosen, most of them from the cardiology specialty.
Development: radiation protection emerged as a medical field due to the frequent use of ionizing radiation and the recognition of its side effects on patients and healthcare personnel. It is therefore based on bioethics. Indications for nuclear cardiology studies must be based on their risks and benefits, respect for the dignity of people, and prudence in thought and action.
Conclusions: radiological protection and its ethical aspects are inherent to the use of ionizing radiation in medical studies or treatments. In the specialty of cardiology, frequent nuclear imaging examinationsand medical procedures entails radiological risks for patients and healthcare personnel. Therefore, decisions must be based on the basic bioethical principles of justification, optimization, and limitation
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