Tracking of patient doses in Slovak radiological departments according to the new EU Directives

Congress:

EuroSafe Imaging 2018

Poster Number:

ESI-0057

Type:

EuroSafe Imaging

Keywords:

Audit and standards, Teleradiology, PACS, Digital radiography, Radiographers, Radiation physics, Computer applications, Action 8 - Radiation protection training and learning material, Action 2 - Clinical diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), Action 6 - Clinical audit tool for imaging, Action 6 - Education and training in medical radiation protection, Action 3 - Optimisation, diagnostic reference levels, image quality, Action 2 - Clinical audit, Education, Dosimetric comparison

Authors:

D. Salat, D. Nikodemova, V. Lehotska

DOI:

10.1594/esi2018/ESI-0057

DOI-Link:

https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/esi2018/ESI-0057

Fig. 1: Number of tracked patient in Slovakia

Fig. 2: Cummulative effective doses of examined patients in Slovakia

Background/introduction

The Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM is laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation. Because in the medical area, important technological and scientific developments have led to a notable increase in the exposure of patients, this Directive emphasise the need for justification of medical exposure, including the exposure of asymptomatic individuals and should strengthen the requirements concerning information to be provided to patients, the recording and reporting of doses from medical procedures, the use of diagnostic reference levels...

Description of activity and work performed

Several years ago was introduced in Slovakia the system of Dose Quality Control (DQC) for surveying all imaging parameters and doses obtained by patients ,by connection of the special developed software with the archivation system of the main healthcare units in Slovakia. The DQC system allowe us to collect agreat number of patient´s dose data, based on using the legal data handling resources, available from PACS or HIS and to analyse the dose distribution for tracking the radiation exposure history and for comparison of the...

Conclusion and recommendations

Radiation protection of patients is the actual agenda in all European countries.Fig.2 shows increase of cummulative effective doses of examined patients exceeding 300 mSv. Information on proper radiation protection measures, based on the results of collection of relevant exposure parameters undertaken in Slovak health facilities by DQC, together with regular quality control and sufficient education and training of the staff, allows optimization of the radiation doses administered to the patients , as well as, improves the patient safety.

Personal/organisational information

D. Šalát, University of Ss.Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, activities in the field tracking of patient doses email: [email protected] D.Nikodemova, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, activities in the field radiation protection of patients V. Lehotska, Oncology Institute of Ss.Elizabeth in Bratislava, head of the clinic of radiology

References

Madan M.Rehani : Patient radiation exposure and dose tracking: a perspective. Journal of Medical Imaging (2017), doi: 10.1117/1.JMI.4.3.031206 Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM, published 5.12.2013 in Official Journal of European Union Radiation protection and safety of radiation sources : international basic safety standards : International Atomic Energy Agency, 2014.ISBN 978–92– 0-135310-8