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South African Radiographer
The South African Radiographer is published by the Society of Radiographers of SA.
| Publisher | Society of Radiographers of South Africa (SORSA) |
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| Frequency | Bi-annually |
| Coverage | Vol 40 Issue 1 Nov 2002 - current |
| Language | English |
| Journal Status | Active |
| Collection(s) |
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Patient-centered care during gynaecological brachytherapy in terms of Batho Pele principles
More LessBackground: Patient-centred care means that healthcare systems are there to serve the people. The Batho Pele principles “Putting People First” were established in 1997 by the Mandela administration of South Africa and these service delivery principles are to be adhered to by government institutions. The principles are applicable to radiation therapy treatment aspects mainly to sustain, but also to improve on the quality of patients’ experiences while undergoing treatment.
Purpose: The aim of the study was to establish the standard of patient-centred care by exploring and describing gynaecological cancer patients’ expectations, experiences and understandings prior, during and post HDR brachytherapy treatment procedures.
Methodology: A qualitative research design with a descriptive phenomenological research approach was followed. Recruitment entailed using purposive sampling. To obtain rich insights into respondents’ lived experiences, data were acquired through semistructured interviews, incorporating the Batho Pele principles.
Findings and conclusion: A gap in communication between the healthcare provider and cancer patient respondents was exposed. This caused them to be lost regarding the brachytherapy treatment processes and procedures. They expressed their desire for information and seemed to be mostly submissive to what was being done to them. Findings indicated partial compliance with Batho Pele in terms of courtesy, redress and access; there was insufficient compliance with regard to consultation, service standards, information, openness and transparency.
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Normal value of cephalic index and craniotypes : a pilot sonographic cephalometric survey of pregnant women of Yoruba ethnic origin in Lagos, southwest Nigeria
More LessBackground: Sonographic cephalometry is used to identify ethnic differences. Biparietal diameter (BPD) and occipito-frontal diameter (OFD) may be used to compute cephalic index (CI).
Methods: A sonographer measured the BPD and OFD in 200 pregnant women of Yoruba ethnic origin. The formula BPD/OFD x 100 was used to compute the CI. Mean CI was used to determine craniotypes. Coefficient of correlation, line graph, and the Bland-Altman plot, were used to determine the relationship between CI, BPD and OFD.
Results: Mean CI was 77.24 ± 3.88 mm. There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in mean CI between fetuses of Yoruba, Igbo and Indian ethnic origin. Correlation was significant between CI and BPD (r = 0.163; p = 0.02) and between CI and OFD (r = -0.02; p = 0. 000); 68.0% of fetuses had mesocephaly. The formula CI = 0.0371(BPD) + 74.656 and CI = 0.0035 (OFD) + 77.559 may be used to calculate CI on the basis of respective sonographically measured BPD and OFD.
Conclusion: While the skull appeared to have grown to its full length and breadth in the first trimester of pregnancy, a typical fetus of Yoruba ethnic origin in Lagos metropolis most likely would have a long and flat skull at birth. Even as ethnic differences appear to be a major factor in the development of cranial development in the population studied, a simple regression equation can be used to compute cephalic index and to correct atypical craniotypes among fetuses without craniofacial anomalies.
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Comparison of the performance of computed radiography and direct radiography in glass soft tissue foreign body visualisation
More LessPurpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the performance of recent computed radiography (CR) and direct radiography (DR) in glass soft tissue foreign body (FB) visualisation in terms of their overall performance, and effects of sizes and locations of FB, and exposure parameters on the visualisation.
Methods: Eighty anteroposterior (AP) and 80 lateral images of chicken legs with five sizes of FBs inserted into two locations were taken by our CR and DR systems using four exposure parameter combinations. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and visual grading analysis (VGA), were employed to assess the FB visibility. The CNR and VGA data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: The mean CNR value, 3.89 and median VGA score, 1 (definitely invisible) of all CR images were statistically significantly lower than the mean CNR value, 9.47 (p<0.001) and median VGA score, 2 (possible visible [but uncertain]) of all DR images (p<0.05) respectively. Despite this, the FBs were visible on CR (median VGA score: 3 - visible but could be shown better) and DR (median VGA score: 4 - definitely visible) lateral images (without FBs overlapping with bone). The smallest FBs visible on CR and DR lateral images were 2 and 1 mm respectively. The factors of FB depths and kV settings did not have any statistically significant effects on FB visibility (p>0.05).
Conclusion: The performance of recent DR system in glass soft tissue FB visualisation appears more superior to CR. DR should be used to take orthogonal (AP and lateral) images for detecting any small FBs.
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Does the everyday lifestyle diet of patients for screening CT colonography impact on their bowel cleaning and perceptions of a one-day liquid diet?
More LessAim: To ascertain whether patients’ everyday diets for at least the past six months impact on bowel cleansing and their perceptions of the bowel preparation at screening CT colonography (CTC) and the taste of iohexol.
Methodology: A questionnaire was used in this prospective quantitative study. Consecutive patients who presented for screening CTC over a five week period voluntary completed the questionnaire. A separate assessment was used to rate bowel preparation: poorly prepared bowel with lots of residual stool was graded as 1; good bowel preparation with some residual stool was graded as 2; excellent bowel preparation with no residual stool was graded as 3.
Results: Fifty-six patients (n=56) completed the questionnaire. Only two patients followed an everyday diet of mainly red meat over the past six months. Forty-seven (84%) followed a mainly white meat/fish diet; seven (12%) followed a vegetarian diet without meat or fish. The majority (89%) presented with excellent bowel preparation with no residual stool. Four patients (a vegetarian and three on mainly a white meat/fish diet) experienced being very hungry. Five (9%) reported feeling nauseous; the majority stated the taste of iohexol was not a problem (48%) or was slightly unpleasant (n=20/36%).
Conclusion: Four patients (7%) were assessed as having good bowel preparation; fifty (89%) had excellent bowel preparation with no residual stool and minimal or no residual fluid. The majority (84%) followed a mainly white meat/fish diet. Future studies that have a bigger sample may provide different results. Studies could also be done to compare bowel preparation of patients who predominantly follow a red meat diet versus those that follow a total white meat/fish diet.
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© Publisher: Society of Radiographers of South Africa (SORSA)
© Publisher: Society of Radiographers of South Africa (SORSA)