Investigation On Current Status Of Occupational Exposure And Protection In Shanghai Nuclear Medicine Professionals

Objective:In this study we investigated the basic characteristics of Shanghai nuclear medicine professionals, their occupational exposure level, protection situations and ralated factors affecting radiation protection. We try to propose some suggestions in radiation protection through this study.Methods:At first we investigated the basic situations of nuclear medicine departments in Shanghai medical service facilities.After that a spot checking observation was done to study the occupational exposure ralated factors and protection situations among the Shanghai nuclear medicine professionals from10hospitals and radiopharmaceutical company. The survey on the radiation protection related knowledge was done with special designed questionaire among nuclear medicine professionals. The data of radiation dosage of these nuclear medicine professionals were analyzed. The radiation dosage in nuclear medicine department daily running was monitored with TLD model.Results:In Shanghai there are32nuclear medicine departments and PET centers in medical service hospitals and2radioparmaceutical manufacturers.37sets of SPECT,13sets of PET/CT and6sets of cyclotron were installed in Shanghai hospitals. Totally the nuclear medicine professionals are316persons. Among these professionals,144are physicians(46%),34are nurses(11%) and113are nuclear medicine technicians(36%).The investigation on occupational exposure ralated factors and protection situations in Shanghai nuclear medicine professionals cover all fields like the layout of nuclear medicine department, regulations on radiation protection, tranining on radiation protection, monitoring the wearing of protection apron and TLD dosage inspector, environment monitoring equipment and its daily patrol record, radiation waste manifesting, nuclear medicine employees welfare system and reality, separate washing cabinet of professionals and patients, attention in avoiding re-radi at ion-polluti on.A radiation protection related knowledge questionaire was underwent among nuclear medicine professionals. The result showed that physicians and technicians have a much more better grasp of the radiation protection theroy knowledge than that of nurses group. A comparison among these three groups showed a significant defference between the nurse group and physician and technician group (p<0.05). A significant defference exists between the nurse group and physician and technician group (p<0.0125) in the mastery of radiation basic knowledge and radiation protection basic theories.The analysis of the radiation dosage data of nuclear medicine professional showed that those nurses who involved in the radiopharmaceuticals injection had a more serious occupational exposure than that of physicians and technicians. The average dosage of nurse group in the study data was2.62mSv and for physician group was0.33mSv, for technician group was0.36mSv. A significant difference exists between the nurse and phisician and technician group p<0.05.The radiation dosage monitoring in nuclear medicine department daily running with TLD model showed that the protection aprons had a ideal protection effect and during the daily job the protection accessories should be weared strictly according to the regulations. Different protection ways was used for different radionuclides. Due to the different radiation level in nuclear medicine departments, the layout of the departments should be scientifically designed to reduce the radiation exposure to a lower level. At the same time a strict regulation of monitoring the environment radiation level in nuclear medicine department should be set up.Conclusions:All the nuclear medicine departments in Shanghai acquired the legal certifications for radionuclide scintigraphy and therapy, like environment safety, medical service, equipment licence and radiopharmaceutical preparation. Before being a nuclear medicine professional, all the employees were underwent radiation protection related theory and operation training. A healthy examination was also needed to get a certification for radiation professional. All the nuclear medicine departments set up a fully rules for radiation protection, well tuned accessories for radiation protection and equipments for environment radiation level detecting. All the nuclear medicine departments keep a good records of employees radiation dosage and health examination. National welfare rules for radiation propfessionals were also strictly followed. But our investigation still showed the existing problems. Focusing these existing problems the following improving suggestions should be taken to improve our work, including more aimed radiation protection training, more attention on the equipment and usage of radiation protection supplements, more attention on the layout design of refined and new nuclear medicine departments, the enhanced environment and personal dosage monitorning and the management of patients staying in nuclear medicine department.