A 5-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF IONIZING RADIATION DOSE TO HYBRID OPERATING ROOM PERSONNEL IN SAUDI ARABIA

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Occupational Health
• Radiation Safety

Background:

• Operating room personnel (ORP) face potential radiation exposure during medical procedures.
• Assessing occupational radiation doses is crucial for ensuring worker safety in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the annual average effective dose (ED) for ORP in Saudi Arabia between 2015 and 2019.
• To evaluate the safety of the work environment concerning radiation exposure in operating rooms.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of annual EDs for 7530 ORP across 52 hospitals in Saudi Arabia.
• Thermoluminescent dosemeters were used to measure radiation exposure.
• Data covered the period from 2015 to 2019, focusing on exposure solely within the operating room.

Main Results:

• The annual average ED for ORP was 0.59 mSv over the 5-year period.
• No personnel exceeded the annual dose limit of 20 mSv.
• Over 88% of workers received an annual ED below 1 mSv, with the maximum recorded at 15 mSv in 2019.

Conclusions:

• The work environment in hybrid operating rooms in Saudi Arabia is safe regarding occupational radiation exposure.
• Continuous adherence to protective measures when handling ionizing radiation is recommended for ORP.