Search Results (3)

Objectives: The purpose of this scoping review was to identify the risk factors and screening uptake for prostate cancer. Design: Scoping review. Methods: Arksey and O’Malley’s framework guided this review; five databases (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete and Cochrane Library) and grey literature were searched. Screening was undertaken against predetermined inclusion criteria for articles published before July 2023 and written in English. This review is reported in line with PRISMA-Sc. Results: 10,899 database results were identified; 3676 papers were removed as duplicates and 7115 papers were excluded at title and abstract review. A total of 108 papers were full-text reviewed and 67 were included in the review. Grey literature searching yielded no results. Age, family history/genetics, hormones, race/ethnicity, exposure to hazards, geographical location and diet were identified as risk factors. Prostatic antigen test (PSA), digital rectal examination (DRE), transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) and prostate biopsy were identified as screening/diagnostic methods. The evidence reviewed highlights moderate knowledge and screening uptake of prostate cancer with less than half of men reporting for PSA screening. On the other hand, there is a year-to-year increase in PSA and DRE screening, but factors such as poverty, religion, culture, communication barriers, language and costs affect men’s uptake of prostate cancer screening. Conclusion: As prostate cancer rates increase globally, there is a need for greater uptake of prostate cancer screening and improved health literacy among men and health workers. There is a need to develop a comprehensive prostate cancer awareness and screening programme that targets men and addresses uptake issues so as to provide safe, quality care. Strengths and limitations of this study: (1) A broad search strategy was utilised incorporating both databases and grey literature. (2) The PRISMA reporting guidelines were utilised. (3) Only English language papers were included, and this may have resulted in relevant articles being omitted. Full article

This work is the result of a campaign of measures of exposure levels to magnetic field gradients (GMF) generated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tomographs, to which both healthcare staff and any persons accompanying patients who remain inside the magnet room are exposed while performing a diagnostic Investigation. The study was conducted on three MRI tomographs with a static magnetic induction field up to 1.5 T installed in two hospitals of Lombardy. The study aims to characterize electromagnetic emissions within the magnet room and the definition of a measurement method suitable for assessing the level of exposure of healthcare personnel and any persons accompanying patients. The measurements performed concerned the determination of the weighted peak index for magnetic induction, due to the diagnostic GMF, relating to the action levels for the workers and the reference levels for the general population, in force in the European Union. Thanks to the defined experimental setup, the use of two different measuring instruments, and the software resources of the WEBNIR platform, it was possible to identify, for both categories of exposed persons, the “clearance” space, i.e., the distance from the magnet of the tomograph that guarantees health protection concerning the exposure to GMF, according to the indications of the standards in force. The method used showed that the exposure levels to GMF are substantially safe for professionally exposed workers who do not carry specific risks. For workers particularly sensitive to the specific risk, as well as to individuals part of the population, it is however advisable to maintain a distance from the magnet of about one meter to prevent sensorial neuromuscular stimulation effects. Full article

The Directive 2013/35/EU establishes standards for workers exposed to static and time varying magnetic fields. These limits are based on ICNIRP guidelines expressed in terms of the electric field induced in the body. The complexity of this measurement led to theoretical models being developed. In this study, the experimental evaluation included varying magnetic field exposures for two classes of MRI workers. The measurements are conducted on four different MRI Systems including one 0.35 T, two 1.5 T, and one 3.0 T. Pocket magnetic dosimeters were used and it was carried out during routine conditions, emergency conditions, and cold-head maintenance/substitution. The acquired data has been processed and the corresponding dB/dt curves have been computed as the first time derivative of the dataset. The weighted peak approach was also implemented for the compliance assessment with regulatory limits. The dB/dt peak values have been compared with the reference level (RL) proposed by ICNIRP. The results show that the RL always exceeds during measurements on the 3.0 T scanner and sometimes on 1.5 T. In light of the foregoing, the diffusion of ultra-high field MRI scanners involves the introduction of behavioral rules that could be more useful than a numerical action level. Full article