A multicenter study of radiation doses to the eye lenses of clinical physicians performing radiology procedures in Japan

Abstract

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creat ive Commo ns Attri bution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Effectiveness of a radiation management safety checklist for non-vascular imaging and interventional radiology at a medical facility

“…Radiation protection is essential for physicians exposed to radiation during clinical practice, and the ICRP calls for the provision of appropriate and sufficient information and training in radiation protection 7,8) . The rate of personal dosimeter use before the measurement period in this study was 58.2%, and the rate of personal dosimeter use has been found to be low among physicians 6,[14][15][16] . The wearing rate during the measurement period, as assessed using the RMSC, was 80.1%; thus, the use of the RMSC improved the rate of personal dosimeter use (χ 2 [2] = 21.254, p < 0.01, φ = −0.227, Table 3).…”

“…However, only a few medical facilities in Japan have implemented OHSMS radiation control. One reason for this may be that occupational radiation exposure among medical workers is not considered important 6,16) . Although radiation practice is dangerous work, countermeasures tend to be neglected because cataracts and skin cancer appear more than 10 years later, and the priority in the medical field is to treat patients and save their lives.…”

“…Owing to the popularity of interventional radiology (IR), occupational exposure to radiation has become a growing cause of concern among medical workers in this field. In particular, the threshold lens radiation dose for cataracts has been significantly lowered [2][3][4][5][6] . Therefore, radiation protection should be optimized for IR.…”

“…Through these reports, the International Atomic Energy Agency has been disseminating information on the possibility of reducing exposure through the use of lead glass and radiation shielding screens installed on ceilings and educating workers on the importance of eye lens protection 9) . To practice physician dose management and radiation protection, it is important to implement the following forms of control: general management, work environment management, work management, health management, and occupational health training 6,7,10,11) . The International Labour Office (ILO) issued guidelines for occupational health and safety management system in 2001 12) .…”

“…A system has been developed in Japan to introduce an occupational safety and health management system (OHSMS) 11) based on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 45001 (ISO 2018) 13) . Although monitoring with personal dosimeters is necessary to assess occupational exposure in physicians, the dosimeter wearing rate among physicians is low, ranging from 17% to 54% 6,[14][15][16] , which indicates a major gap in exposure management.…”