Occupational dose assessment and optimization in PET-CT practice: A review

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Department of Radiology Technology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA

3 Department of Nuclear Medicine, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

4 Research Center for Nuclear Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The combination of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with Computed Tomography (CT) is an innovative tool for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring various diseases, specifically cancer. Nevertheless, ionizing radiation exposure caused by gamma rays emitting from [18F]FDG may result in substantial iatrogenic effects posing risks to the health and safety of staff members involved in different roles throughout the process. The lack of review articles, comparing discoveries about staff doses and acquiring a deep insight into the potential risks is complicated. To address this issue, this study aims to review various responsibilities and their impact on recorded doses, different organ and environmental dosimetry methods, personnel’s annual effective doses, and practical strategies to mitigate exposure risks. Thus, our evaluations are expected to provide fundamental information on these topics. The handling of radiopharmaceuticals and interactions with patients who have received injections are among the most hazardous steps in clinical procedures, significantly impacting occupational exposures. To ensure safety, it is crucial to consider the whole body effective dose as an important parameter, alongside the dose received by extremities that are in close proximity to radioactive substances. It is worth noting that contrary to expectations, not only does the annual effective dose to different organs of workforces in some medical centers approach the regulatory limits, Moreover, some studies indicate that these doses can exceed safe restrictions. This study aims to review the dosimetry of personnel working with PET-CT and determine the spectrum of the effective doses for diverse organs. Thereafter, effective general and special techniques, such as ALARA principles, are debated to be employed for optimizing radiation doses.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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