The teaching of Radiology in other university studies.

After the implementation of the European Space for Higher Education, the contents of the Radiology and Physical Medicine Area that were taught in the Medicine Degree have also been incorporated into the new degrees of Dentistry, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, and, to a lesser extent, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Logopedia, and Biomedical Engineering As a whole, the basic concepts of radiology and radiological protection are taught in Murcia in 5 different degrees with a total of 52.5 ECTS credits, participating in the training of 1219 students each academic year. This incorporation in the new degrees has tripled the number of subjects in which undergraduate teaching is taught, and doubled both the number of ECTS credits and the number of undergraduate students to whom it directs its training work. Thus, given the possible creation of new university degrees in the near future (Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy Technicians), it would be necessary to involve a greater number of accredited professionals, from different specialties, and to optimize teaching resources (bibliography, material teacher, clinical cases, etc.,) for its usefulness in the different subjects that share similar contents.

Spanish dental hygienist attitudes to dental radiological protection: assessment of a 1-day pilot course.

OBJECTIVES: To determine hygienists' knowledge of and attitudes to X-ray equipment and film processing, and to assess both after a 1-day course. STUDY POPULATION: One-hundred and four dental hygienists from the south-east of Spain attending a 1-day course in oral radiology. METHODOLOGY: A questionnaire comprising different sections related with socio-demographic items, X-ray equipment and the processing of dental films was answered before and after a 1-day pilot course on radiation protection. RESULTS: The response rate was 89.42% (n = 93). Of the participants 94.6% were women, with a mean age of 29.52 (SD 6.861) and 7.20 years of professional experience (SD 5.089). The level of knowledge before the course was 48.28%, which increased to 85.62% after the course (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prescribed standard was reached by <23.65% of those attending the course at the beginning. Although attending the course led to a considerable improvement, it did not always result in a high level of knowledge of basic radiation equipment and processing.

A bioactive sol-gel glass implant for in vivo gentamicin release. Experimental model in Rabbit.

Biomaterial pieces with osteogenic properties, suitable for use in the treatment of bone defects, were synthesized. The materials, which avoid bone infections, are exclusively composed of gentamicin sulfate and bioactive SiO2-CaO-P2O5 sol-gel glass (synthesized previously), and were manufactured by means of uniaxial and isostatic pressure of the mixed components. After implanting the pieces into rabbit femur, we studied (1) antibiotic release, determining the concentration in proximal and distal bone, liver, kidney, and lung as a function of time, and (2) bone growth as a consequence of the glass reactivity in the biological environment. The results demonstrated that the implants are good carriers for local gentamicin release into the local osseous tissue, where they show excellent biocompatibility and bone integration. Moreover, these implants are able to promote bone growth during the resorption process.

Clinicopathological characteristics of tongue piercing: an experimental study.

BACKGROUND: This study attempts to remedy the situation that no morphological studies exit of tongue piercing. METHODS: The tongues of eight Beagles were pierced with titanium implants. The animals were then divided into four groups: 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months for clinical-photographic and histopathological studies. RESULTS: Group I: clinically, erythema at both orifices and, microscopically, granulation tissue covering the surface of the canal and infiltrates of polynuclear neutrophils. Group II: persistence of erythema and of the granulation tissue, with the edges of the epithelium showing signs of regeneration. Group III: granulation tissue alternating with fibrosis; epithelium covering the sides of the canal. Group IV: fibrosis substituting the granulation tissue and almost complete re-epithelialization of the canal. All groups, except group I, numerous foreign body-type granulomas. CONCLUSIONS: Tongue piercing provokes fibrous reparation with almost total re-epithelialization of the perforated zone and foreign body-like granulomatous inflammation.

[Absence of chromosomic and genotoxic damage from the radiation dose administered in scintigraphic examinations]. / Ausencia de daño cromosómico y genotóxico inducido por la dosis de radiación administrada en las exploraciones gammagráficas.

INTRODUCTION: The cytokinesis-blocked (CB) micronucleus test (MN) on irradiated human lymphocytes is normally used to evaluate chromosomal and genotoxic damage produced by various physical and chemical agents. OBJECTIVE: Determine any possible genotoxic effect induced by the different types of ionizing radiation employed in medical diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The frequency of the MN appearance was determined in CB lymphocyte cultures of a total of 4 different groups of patients: (1) in 35 supposedly healthy volunteers to establish the MN spontaneous frequency in the medium; (2) in 9 volunteers to measure the in vitro dose-response curves in order to calculate the MN frequency following X-ray irradiation and gamma radiation; (3) in 25 patients in whom a specific diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedure employing diagnostic radiology techniques involving X-ray exposure was applied, and (4) in 26 patients in whom the diagnostic procedure in question involved nuclear medicine techniques (scintiscan). RESULTS: A lineal relationship was observed between the MN frequency and the dose of ionizing radiation administered in vitro, both in X-rays and gamma radiation. A significant increase in the MN is observed after radiation is given to patients during medical diagnostic radiology examinations when compared with the control values obtained from the same patients prior to being subjected to the radiological procedure (p < 0.01). No significant MN increase is observed following exposure to radiation involved in diagnostic examinations in patients studied in Nuclear Medicine. CONCLUSION: Ionizing radiation employed in complex medical diagnostic radiology examinations produces a significant increase in the MN appearance frequency and as such indicates both radiation induced chromosomal and genotoxic damage. However, the ionizing radiation used in diagnostic nuclear medicine examinations does not induce any significant increase in MN appearance frequency.

Biocompatibility and in vivo gentamicin release from bioactive sol-gel glass implants.

Biomaterial pieces, with suitable osteogenic properties for use in the treatment of bone defects and the capability to avoid bone infections, have been synthesized. These materials are composed exclusively of gentamicin sulfate and bioactive SiO(2)-CaO-P(2)O(5) sol-gel glass (previously synthesized). Implant processing was achieved by uniaxial and isostatic pressure of the components mixture. After implanting the pieces into rabbit femur, we studied (i) the antibiotic release, determining the concentration in proximal and distal bone, liver, kidney, and lung as a function of time; and (ii) the bone growth resulting from the glass reactivity in the biologic environment. The results indicate that the implants are good carriers for local gentamicin release in the osseous tissue, exhibiting excellent biocompatibility and bone integration. Moreover, these implants are able to promote bone growth during their resorption process.