Personal dosimeters (viz. TLD) are used for monitoring radiation exposure. As in the current Radiology curriculum, residents hardly work in an environment where radiation monitoring would be required (except DSA), what is the current guideline for personal dose monitoring?
Hmmm I would say yes, but that is really a question for either legislation or the Radiation Safety Officer. The guideline within Australia is if a person is exposed to radiation as part of their occupation then they must be monitored. See here for Occupational Radiation Exposure http://www.arpansa.gov.au/pubs/rps/rps14.pdf . Typically state Health Legislation pertaining to radiation also has mandatory monitoring.
Dear Pankaj
Yes
The goal of personal dosimetry is to determine the radiation exposure received by the user in a given period of time. Ionizing radiation absorbed outside of acceptable limits, can cause biological damage and therefore must be precisely monitored.
The radiologist doctor can do much to minimize occupational exposure to radiation, adopting procedures for exposure control that do not require sophisticated equipment or especially rigorous training, but rather a conscious attitude, and a safety culture
All who work in the area of radiation know that the radiation protection measures, or at least I hope they do. If we protect the patient, and protect yourself. There are a couple of principles which we follow to protect themselves and the patient, they are:
a) The radiation beam collimation
b) correct exposure
c) the distance from the radiation source
d) a closed door
e) goggles, aprons and shields in the operating room and ICU
f) placing the patient-guard protector gonads
g) continuing education
You all wear dosimeters that go every month to check.
You dosimeter to view properly handle - on the left side of the chest under the protective apron if we carry.
I use google translator
thanks
Good morning, I was a medical officer serving in the radiology department for almost 4 years. Here in Malaysia we are still using film badges due to the cost of TLD dosimeter. Sensitivity range is very much the same however we are missing the finger and targeted organ doses. We well know that the radiation dose at diagnostic level is far below the threshold level and glad i am yet to meet a classified worker despite serving in the Intervention Unit in the University. I really support the practise of using a personal dosimeter, to at least have some form of personel monitoring. Even at this era we still hear big institutes that have a leak on their barium plasters/ lead shield windows.
Yup, thats exactly the practice in Malaysia, a film badge dosimeter worn by every employee at the radiology department and we are given 14 days of extra leave compared to others who work in other departments. The badges are collected by the radiation supervisor.
In general terms one shall wear a personal dosimeter when you are working within radiation exposed areas at least one time each working day. In other words if you are exposed to radiation minimum 5 times a week you should wear a dosimeter. BUT you can also choose to do a test period were you have your radiation exposure measured, 3-6 months for example. If your workload is normal in the testperiod and you have no or negligible dose readings you can make a qualified judgement of not using any dosimeter device further.
Mandatory in The Netherlands. This is based on national law implementing Euratom guidelines. All countries under the Euratom treaty [most european countries] had to turn this requirement into national law long ago.
A few years back one major radiotherapy institution requested the government for permission to stop registering doses for workers involved in external beam radiotherapy. To my knowledge, the use of TLD-badges has not been disconinued in The Netherlands.
For Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, for workers, whenever there exists a conceivable risk of exposure above and beyond 1 mSv/year, TLD-badges are mandatory.
Because of the increasing use of PET/CT camera's and the problems with potential very high [Gray's] doses to the extrimities when using 18F-FDG, it is extremily unlikely that this practice will be abandoned.
In the past few years the Dutch government has tightened the rules also for dentists, ensuring that both the dentists and the equipment used conforms to the letter of the law.
In response to your question, I have question in return: don't your residents also train for interventional procedures ? If simple procedures such as biopsy under CT guidance are performed, dose monitoring becomes important.
Its Mandotory requiremnt in Pakistan. Which is according to Regulatory authority PNRA
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