NOTE The report of the Committee without its annexes appears as Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-third Session, Supplement No. 46. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The country names used in this document are, in most cases, those that were in use at the time the data were collected or the text prepared. In other cases, however, the names have been updated, where this was possible and appropriate, to reflect political changes. Scientific Annexes Annex A. Medical radiation exposures Annex B. Exposures of the public and workers from various sources of radiation INTROdUCTION 1. In the course of the research and development for and the application of atomic energy and nuclear technologies, a number of radiation accidents have occurred. Some of these accidents have resulted in significant health effects and occasionally in fatal outcomes. The application of technologies that make use of radiation is increasingly widespread around the world. Millions of people have occupations related to the use of radiation, and hundreds of millions of individuals benefit from these uses. Facilities using intense radiation sources for energy production and for purposes such as radiotherapy, sterilization of products, preservation of foodstuffs and gamma radiography require special care in the design and operation of equipment to avoid radiation injury to workers or to the public. Experience has shown that such technology is generally used safely, but on occasion controls have been circumvented and serious radiation accidents have ensued. 2. Reviews of radiation exposures from accidents have been presented in previous UNSCEAR reports. The last report containing an exclusive chapter on exposures from accidents was the UNSCEAR 1993 Report [U6]. 3. This annex is aimed at providing a sound basis for conclusions regarding the number of significant radiation accidents that have occurred, the corresponding levels of radiation exposures and numbers of deaths and injuries, and the general trends for various practices. Its conclusions are to be seen in the context of the Committee's overall evaluations of the levels and effects of exposure to ionizing radiation. 4. The Committee's evaluations of public, occupational and medical diagnostic exposures are mostly concerned with chronic exposures of …

sources and effects of ionizing radiation

Nursing Research—Principles and Methods

Background Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common cancer affecting white-skinned individuals and the incidence is increasing worldwide. Objectives This systematic review brings together 75 studies conducted over the past half century to look at geographical variations and trends worldwide in NMSC, and specifically incidence data are compared with recent U.K. cancer registry data. Methods Following the development of a comprehensive search strategy, an assessment tool was adapted to look at the methodological quality of the eligible studies. Results Most of the studies focused on white populations in Europe, the U.S.A. and Australia; however, limited data were available for other skin types in regions such as Africa. Worldwide the incidence for NMSC varies widely with the highest rates in Australia [>1000/100, 000 person-years for basal cell carcinoma (BCC)] and the lowest rates in parts of Africa ( Conclusions NMSC is an increasing problem for health care services worldwide. This review highlights a requirement for prevention studies in this area and the issues surrounding incomplete NMSC registration. Registration standards of NMSC should be improved to the level of other invasive disease.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2012.10830.x

A systematic review of worldwide incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Human skin is repeatedly exposed to UVR that influences the function and survival of many cell types and is regarded as the main causative factor in the induction of skin cancer. It has been traditionally believed that skin pigmentation is the most important photoprotective factor, as melanin, besides functioning as a broadband UV absorbent, has antioxidant and radical scavenging properties. Besides, many epidemiological studies have shown a lower incidence for skin cancer in individuals with darker skin compared to those with fair skin. Skin pigmentation is of great cultural and cosmetic importance, yet the role of melanin in photoprotection is still controversial. This article outlines the major acute and chronic effects of UVR on human skin, the properties of melanin, the regulation of pigmentation and its effect on skin cancer prevention.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1751-1097.2007.00226.x

The Protective Role of Melanin Against UV Damage in Human Skin

Transforming Qualitative Data: Description, Analysis, and Interpretation

The incidence of skin cancer is increasing and nurses are in an ideal position to help patients prevent and identify the disease at an early stage.

Prescribing in Dermatology: Skin cancer

Objective:
The objective of this project was to develop core competencies in pain assessment and management for prelicensure health professional education. Such core pain competencies common to all prelicensure health professionals have not been previously reported.
Methods:
An interprofessional executive committee led a consensus-building process to develop the core competencies. An in-depth literature review was conducted followed by engagement of an interprofessional Competency Advisory Committee to critique competencies through an iterative process. A 2-day summit was held so that consensus could be reached.
Results:
The consensus-derived competencies were categorized within four domains: multidimensional nature of pain, pain assessment and measurement, management of pain, and context of pain management. These domains address the fundamental concepts and complexity of pain; how pain is observed and assessed; collaborative approaches to treatment options; and application of competencies across the life span in the context of various settings, populations, and care team models. A set of values and guiding principles are embedded within each domain.
Conclusions:
These competencies can serve as a foundation for developing, defining, and revising curricula and as a resource for the creation of learning activities across health professions designed to advance care that effectively responds to pain

/pdf/core-competencies-for-pain-management-results-of-an-3pr6nsy3fr.pdf

Core competencies for pain management: results of an interprofessional consensus summit.

Review Articles Core Competencies for Pain Management: Results of an Interprofessional Consensus Summit

Tackling antimicrobial resistance 2019-2024 - The UK's five-year national action plan.

Background. In the UK, the number of nurses able to prescribe medicines is rapidly
increasing in line with Government policy directives. Whilst a number of research
studies have been conducted on nurse prescribing, review and synthesis of the
findings from these studies had not been undertaken.
Aims and objectives. The literature review was conducted to identify key findings
about the impact and effectiveness of nurse prescribing as well as under-researched
issues, in order to inform future research, education and practice in this area.
Methods. A review of the literature on the first phase of nurse prescribing (1993–
2002) in the UK was undertaken using electronic databases and specified search
terms; some hand searching and identification of grey literature was also carried out.
Results. Eighteen research-based publications were included in the review. Findings
indicate that patients are generally satisfied with district nurses’ and health visitors’
prescribing in the first phase of nurse prescribing. Nurses who prescribe are also
generally satisfied with their role, although some concerns about the adequacy of
their pharmacological knowledge have been raised. There is some variation in the
prescribing patterns of district nurses’, health visitors’ and practice nurses, and the
limitations of the original Nurse Prescribers’ Formulary (NPF) have been highlighted.
Some preconditions for good nurse prescribing practice have begun to be
identified. Some nurse prescribing outcomes – e.g. its impact on the prescribing
practices of doctors, and the perspectives of certain patient groups – remain
un-evaluated. Research into the first phase of nurse prescribing is inevitably confined
to those with a district nurse and/or health visitor qualification who were prescribing
from the original NPF, thus limiting conclusions that can be drawn for the
current policy context.
Conclusions. The review highlights that nurse prescribing has generally been evaluated
positively to date; however, there are both methodological weaknesses and
under-researched issues that point to the need for further research into this
important policy initiative.
Relevance to clinical practice. The review focuses on a clinical issue central to
current and future forms of health care practice. Findings from the review highlight
both the impact of nurse prescribing and the prerequisites that require consideration
by those responsible for the development of nurse prescribing in clinical practice.

Molly Courtenay

Papers

Prescribing in Dermatology: Skin cancer

Core competencies for pain management: results of an interprofessional consensus summit.

Review Articles Core Competencies for Pain Management: Results of an Interprofessional Consensus Summit

Tackling antimicrobial resistance 2019-2024 - The UK's five-year national action plan.

Effectiveness of nurse prescribing: a review of the literature.