Assessing doses to interventional radiologists using a personal dosimeter worn over a protective apron

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiology
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Interventional radiologists face significant radiation exposure.
• Simple, routine monitoring methods are crucial for managing radiologist radiation doses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the utility of dosimeters worn outside protective aprons for interventional radiologists.
• To determine the effectiveness of external dosimeters in estimating occupational radiation doses.

Main Methods:

• Phantom measurements were used to compare effective dose with dosimeter readings outside the apron.
• Real-world measurements involved eight radiologists wearing dosimeters for two months.
• Finger doses were monitored using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs).

Main Results:

• The ratio of effective dose to external dosimeter dose was approximately 0.02-0.03.
• The ratio of dose under to outside the apron was less than 0.04.
• A strong correlation was observed between finger dose and dosimeter readings.

Conclusions:

• External dosimeters serve as effective screening tools for eye, finger, and effective doses in interventional radiology.
• While effective dose may be overestimated, external dosimeters provide valuable screening data.
• Dosimeters worn under aprons may miss significant finger and eye radiation doses.