Radiosurgery: a nursing perspective. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • The term radiosurgery, originally applied to three-dimensional stereotactic irradiation of small intracranial targets with low-energy x-rays, has more recently been applied to widely differing techniques and radiation sources. These include gamma units using cobalt-60; beams of protons, helium ions and neutrons; and modified cobalt-60 or linear accelerator units. These techniques allow delivery of a high dose of radiation in a single fraction to a small and well-defined intracranial volume, without delivering significant radiation to adjacent normal tissue. The most usual targets for radiosurgery are arteriovenous malformations. It is occasionally used for acoustic neuromas and primary or metastatic brain malignancies as well. Although radiosurgery is not a new procedure, its use is becoming more widespread. Nurses, as critical members of radiosurgery teams, must be informed about all aspects of the procedures and associated nursing care skills.

publication date

  • February 1, 1991

Research

keywords

  • Brain Neoplasms
  • Cranial Irradiation
  • Intracranial Aneurysm
  • Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations
  • Particle Accelerators
  • Stereotaxic Techniques

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0026111796

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/01376517-199102000-00005

PubMed ID

  • 1826713

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 23

issue

  • 1