Cor Vasa 2010, 52(9):564-567

Management of care for healthcare personnel at risk of exposure to ionizing radiation

Jana Golisová^*, Otakar Kraft

Klinika nukleární medicíny, Fakultní nemocnice Ostrava, Ústav sociálního lékařství a zdravotní politiky, LF UP v Olomouci, Česká republika

Objective: To highlight the importance of care for employees exposed to ionizing radiation as a risk factor and to document radiation levels in selected groups of healthcare personnel.
Areas of care for the personnel: Management of care for employees exposed to and at risk of ionizing radiation in medicine is quite a large and challenging area with the potential of modifying the rates of work-related accidents and occupational diseases as well as the health of the personnel and its understanding. Management includes safety and protection of health at work (radiation hygiene), and healthcare provided to the personnel (also above standard) by the employer. Key components in this include detailed knowledge of the workplace with the types and techniques of work performed, including levels of the radiation load and coordination among individual departments within the institution.

Results: As it will not be possible to fully eliminate procedures using ionizing radiation in medicine or to replace them by alternative techniques not employing ionizing radiation in the near future, it is critical to develop measures and conditions to minimize the level of risk, to maintain an adequate level of health protection while retaining the benefits drawn from the utilization of sources of ionizing radiation and nuclear energy. In practice, this means conformity with the current knowledge about the biological effects of radiation, and general approaches to protection of health from risk factors in the environment and at workplace, and with the diverse requirements of current and anticipated practice - i.e., all possible situations with exposure or potential exposure of individuals to irradiation have to be taken into account.

Conclusion: Although the real levels of exposure to ionizing radiation in medicine and the health risks resulting from exposure are low, ionizing radiation belongs to occupational risk factors making it necessary to adopt measures at workplaces ensuring safety and protection of health at work, to observe the principles of radiation hygiene, to implement preventive health care and other regulations as stipulated by applicable legislation.

Keywords: Risk factor; Ionizing radiation; Safety and protection of health at work; Occupational health care

Published: September 1, 2010  Show citation