OCCUPATIONAL DOSE ASSESSMENT FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND RADIOTHERAPY TECHNOLOGISTS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Yazeed Alashban; Nasser Shubayr

doi:10.1093/rpd/ncab112

OCCUPATIONAL DOSE ASSESSMENT FOR NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND RADIOTHERAPY TECHNOLOGISTS IN SAUDI ARABIA

Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2021 Aug 14;195(1):50-55. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncab112.

Authors

Yazeed Alashban¹, Nasser Shubayr^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Radiological Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
² Diagnostic Radiography Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
³ Medical Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

PMID: 34319372
DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncab112

Abstract

This study estimated the occupational radiation dose received by nuclear medicine and radiotherapy technologists in Saudi Arabia. A retrospective analysis of personal dosemetry data of 1243 nuclear medicine and radiotherapy technologists from 28 medical centers across Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2019 was conducted. Thermoluminescent dosemeters were employed to monitor the occupational radiation dose. For the study period, the average annual values for nuclear medicine and radiotherapy technologists were found to be 1.22 mSv (SD = 1.00 mSv) and 0.73 mSv (SD = 0.40 mSv) for Hp(10) and 1.23 mSv (SD = 1.07 mSv) and 0.72 mSv (SD = 0.41 mSv) for Hp(0.07), respectively. The work routines of nuclear medicine technologists cause them to be exposed to higher radiation doses than radiotherapy technologists. The occupational doses for all technologists were found to be below the annual dose limits, which indicates satisfactory working conditions in terms of radiation protection.

MeSH terms

Nuclear Medicine*
Occupational Exposure* / analysis
Radiation Dosage
Retrospective Studies
Saudi Arabia