Title: Occupational radiation dose for medical workers in a tertiary care hospital-A ten year evaluation
Authors: M. Mohib-ul Haq, Misbah H Baba, Aijaz A Khan, Mohsin R Khan, Sajad A Rather
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v7i3.250
Abstract
Occupational radiation doses for medical workers from the departments of diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, cardiology, gastroenterology, radiological physics & BE and associated medical college of Sher I Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Hospital were measured and analyzed. A total of 257 medical radiation workers were monitored to determine the status of their average annual effective dose and average cumulative life time dose. The analysis of this study was carried out at the Radiation Safety Lab of the Department of Radiological Physics & BE, at SKIMS. The monitored workers were classified into subgroups namely technical professionals and doctors, according to their clinical responsibilities and specialties. The whole body doses were measured using thermo luminescence dosimeters developed in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (TLD-BARC (CaSo4:Dy)) worn at the chest level in all types of workers except for those in the cardiology lab and gastroentrology, for whom the TLD was worn under the lead apron(0.5millimeter lead thickness). In addition the three departments viz nuclear medicine, cardiology and gastroenterology department were provided with an extremity dosimeter. The annual average effective doses for radiodiagnosis, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, cardiology, gastroenterology, radiological physics & BE & SKIMS Medical college, workers were found to be,0.26, 0.60, 0.18, 0.35, 1.37, 0.17 and 0.25 mSv, respectively. The department of Nuclear Medicine using the unsealed radioisotopes was recorded for the hand/extremity dose as well and the average dose was 1.06mSv. The departments using fluoroscopic guided procedures viz cardiology and gastroenterology using fluoroscopic guidance for various procedures were also provided with the additional extremity dosimeter and the average doses were found 0.42 and 5.57 mSv respectively. The results of the measured annual dose were well below the international recommended occupational dose limit of 20 mSv.
The average life time cumulative doses for diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, cardiology, gastroenterology, radiological physics & BE & SKIMS Medical college, workers were found to be, 7.10, 14.91, 4.97, 8.79, 23.12, 4.28 and 2.82mSv, respectively.
Keywords: Annual effective dose, Thermo luminiscent dosimeter, radiation, mSv-millisievert, Hp(10), Hp(0.07)
