Röntgensjuksköterskans och röntgenundersökningens betydelse vid utredning av barnmisshandel : En litteraturstudie

Introduction: Most children in Sweden have a good state of health and grow up in secure conditions in full compliance with the Parental Code. This doesn’t always match reality because there are children who are abused. Child abuse is a global problem, and in countries with a strong economy 4-16 % of the children suffer from abuse every year.Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide a general literature review describing the radiographer’s and x-ray’s importance when conducting an enquiry of child abuse. Method: The study was conducted as a general literature review and contains 11 scientific articles that are selected according to the purpose.Results: The study showed that x-ray plays an important role when it comes to the investigation of child abuse. It is an effective way to detect fractures and fissures which are one of the most common signs of physical abuse of children. The study showed that children under 2 years ran a higher risk of abuse than older children, and that most x-ray examinations were carried out on these. With the help of the initial x-ray and eventual follow-up x-ray, the radiographer can contribute to the diagnosis. However, radiographers still feel that they don’t have adequate knowledge in child abuse. Conclusion: X-ray is recommended when it comes to the investigation of suspected child abuse. It helps to detect fractures and fissures, which in turn leads to the diagnosis of child abuse. Radiographers are recommended to upgrade their knowledge and education about child protection and abuse, as well as striving to improve their technique in performing the x-ray examinations.Validerat; 20160130 (global_studentproject_submitter