Congress:
EuroSafe Imaging 2020
Keywords:
Action 6 - Clinical audit tool for imaging, Radioprotection / Radiation dose, CT, Fluoroscopy, MR, Diagnostic procedure, Education and training, Prospective, Not applicable, Multicentre study
Authors:
A. C. Belhadj Mostefa, S. Elsobky, A. Santhirasekaram, M. Khalifa
DOI:
10.26044/esi2020/ESI-11363
Background/introduction
The use of radiological investigations is an accepted part of medical practice, justified in terms of clear clinical benefits to the patient, which should far outweigh the small radiation risks. However even small radiation doses are not entirely without risk. A small fraction of the genetic mutations and malignant diseases that occur in the population can be attributed to background radiation.
In the United Kingdom an estimated 100-250 deaths occur each year from cancers directly related to medical exposure to radiation. In March 2000, the UK secretary of state issued new regulations that emphasised the importance and dangers of radiation.
The Ionising radiation (Medical Exposure) regulations 2000 and 2006 IR(ME)R impose a responsibility on imaging departments to ensure that all exposures to ionising radiation are justified, and that doses are optimized. Organizations and individuals using ionising radiation must comply with these regulations hence safe practice highlights that all staff in the radiology department should have knowledge of the relevant radiation doses for the common examinations. Furthermore, practitioners and those performing delegated practitioner functions should be familiar with all -IR(ME)R. They should be able to demonstrate knowledge of effective radiation doses resulting from eight common radiological examinations as well as the approximate potential added risk of malignancy attributed to these procedures.
The study indicator was assessed with the compliance percentage and the target shlould reflect that 100% of staff possess the requisite knowledge
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of radiation exposure in different imaging modalities amongst all radiology staff.