Final answer:
To perform radiographs on a patient with a head injury, medical professionals should first determine the appropriateness of ionizing radiation, identify what needs to be determined or calculated, and then list the known information such as type of radiation, tissue mass affected, and the energy per event.
Step-by-step explanation:
Performing Radiographs for Head Injury
When a patient presents with a head injury, it is vital to follow specific steps to ensure the safety and effectiveness of radiographic imaging. These imaging techniques, which are imperative for localizing and assessing the injury, may include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scanning. The first step in this process is to examine the situation and determine that ionizing radiation is appropriate for use on a person with the injury. Next, health care providers must identify the exact requirements for the imaging (identify the unknowns) as well as the dose calculation. Then, providers should make a list of what is given or can be inferred from the problem (identify the knowns), such as the type and mass of tissue affected, the type of radiation being used, and the energy per event.
Appling these steps carefully can help to ensure the radiographs are performed with the utmost consideration for patient health and safety while aiming to achieve accurate diagnostic results.