Assessing the occupational radiation doses for medical workers at Cairo University Hospital based on job categories

Abstract EN

The objective of this study is to assess the occupational ionizing radiation doses in medical uses based on job categories and level of radiation doses exposure.

Radiation survey has been carried out in Cairo University Hospital in 3 main places that use radionuclides for various diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, Nuclear Medicine Department (Exposed to high doses of Tc99m and I131), Cardiology Center (Exposed to medium doses of Tc99m) and Gamma Camera Center in King Fahd Unit and Radiotherapy Center (Exposed to low doses of Tc99m).

Each level of exposure is divided into three subgroups according to job category, Physicians, Physicists and Technologists (Technicians and Nurses) groups.

the equivalent dose of hand per year "mSv" was measured for radiation workers in nuclear medicine only, while the equivalent dose per year "mSv" and the accumulated doses over ten years "mSv" (2002-2012) of whole body were measured for the all groups.

The results revealed that the Physicists in nuclear medicine were exposed to the highest equivalent dose of hand (36.5±1.86) mSv followed by Physicians (21.7±1.96) mSv and Technologists (6.23±1.72) mSv.

The statistical analysis of these results showed a considerable significant difference among each group.

The maximum expected annual dose of fingers appeared to be less than the annual limit (500 mSv/y).

For the whole-body, the results of equivalent and accumulated doses indicated that, there was no significant difference among each group in each level of radiation also revealed that these doses were lower than the international recommended dose limits (20 mSv/ year).