The radiation safety education and the pain physicians' efforts to reduce radiation exposure

Abstract

BackgroundC-arm fluoroscopy equipment is important for interventional pain management and can cause radiation injury to physicians and patients. We compared radiation safety education and efforts to reduce the radiation exposure of pain specialists.MethodsA survey of 49 pain specialists was conducted anonymously in 2016. The questionnaire had 16 questions. That questionnaire was about radiation safety knowledge and efforts to reduce exposure. We investigated the correlation between radiation safety education and efforts of radiation protection. We compared the results from 2016 and a published survey from 2011.ResultsAccording to the 2016 survey, all respondents used C-arm fluoroscopy in pain interventions. Nineteen respondents (39%) had received radiation safety education. Physicians had insufficient knowledge about radiation safety. When the radiation safety education group and the non-education group are compared, there was no significant difference in efforts to reduce radiation exposure and radiation safety knowledge. When the 2011 and 2016 surveys were compared, the use of low dose mode (P = 0.000) and pulsed mode had increased significantly (P = 0.001). The number checking for damage to radiation protective garments (P = 0.000) and use of the dosimeter had also increased significantly (P = 0.009). But there was no significant difference in other efforts to reduce radiation exposure.ConclusionsPain physicians seem to lack knowledge of radiation safety and the number of physicians receiving radiation safety education is low. According to this study, education does not lead to practice. Therefore, pain physicians should receive regular radiation safety education and the education should be mandatory.

Radiation safety: a focus on lead aprons and thyroid shields in interventional pain management

“…Lead glasses with 0.5- or 0.75-mm thickness can reduce more than 95% of scatter radiation [ 32 ]. According to studies conducted in Korea, lead aprons, thyroid shields, and lead glasses are worn by approximately 93–100%, 81–100%, and 38–40% of operators, respectively [ 5 6 33 ]. However, the lens of the eye is the most radiation-sensitive part of the body; therefore, wearing lead glasses is essential.…”

“…Several surveys have investigated radiation safety knowledge and efforts to reduce exposure [ 5 6 52 53 ]. Korean surveys in 2011 and 2016 reported that pain physicians' knowledge about radiation safety is lacking, with 61% of respondents never having received radiation safety education.…”

“…Even among those who received education, their efforts to reduce radiation exposure did not differ significantly from those of physicians who never received radiation education. Thus, there is a gap between the education and practice of radiation safety [ 5 ].…”

“…Therefore, efforts to reduce radiation exposure during pain management are very important. However, in some surveys, pain physicians reported a lack of interest, awareness, and knowledge about radiation safety [ 5 6 ].…”

Three principles for radiation safety: time, distance, and shielding

“…However, pain physicians can be exposed to radiation during use of C-arm fluoroscopy. According to a previous study in Korea, most pain physicians were worried about the adverse biological effects of radiation exposure [ 1 ]. However not many pain physicians had knowledge of radiation safety [ 1 2 ].…”