[Occupational exposure in orthopedic procedures under fluoroscopic control].

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Occupational Health
• Radiology

Background:

• Interventional radiology procedures often result in high radiation doses for both patients and medical staff.
• Orthopedic procedures utilizing X-ray control are common across various medical specializations.
• This study focuses on evaluating radiation exposure specifically for interventional teams performing orthopedic procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure and assess radiation doses received by interventional teams during orthopedic procedures under X-ray guidance.
• To compare these doses with established reference levels and literature values.
• To validate the effectiveness of thermoluminescent dosimetry for monitoring occupational exposure in this setting.

Main Methods:

• Radiation dose equivalents were measured for interventional teams in three hospitals in Łódź.
• Thermoluminescent dosemeters were used to record dose equivalents for the eye lens (Hp(3)), palm skin (Hp(0.07)), neck (Hp(10) without collar), and whole body (Hp(10) under apron).
• Measurements were taken during 95 orthopedic procedures.

Main Results:

• The highest radiation doses were observed in the operator.
• The dose to the eye lens per procedure did not exceed 0.1 mSv.
• The highest recorded dose to the hands was 1.6 mSv, and the highest effective dose was 0.02 mSv.

Conclusions:

• The measured radiation doses for orthopedic interventional teams fall within the published reference ranges for non-vascular procedures.
• These findings demonstrate that practices in the studied Łódź hospitals align with standard methodologies in other interventional departments.
• Thermoluminescent dosimetry is confirmed as adequate for evaluating radiation exposure in interventional radiology, with a recommendation for using at least two dosemeters per staff member.