Congress:
EuroSafe Imaging 2019
Keywords:
Quality assurance, Education and training, Dosimetric comparison, Radiation safety, CT, Conventional radiography, Radioprotection / Radiation dose, Action 5 - Performance indicators for radiation protection management, Action 2 - Clinical diagnostic reference levels (DRLs)
Authors:
J.-F. Chateil, H. Ducou le Pointe, E. Museux, P. Roch, D. Celier, J.-F. Meder, C. Etard
DOI:
10.26044/esi2019/ESI-0045
Background/introduction
Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) are one of the tools currently used to optimize patient dose in medical imaging.
First introduced by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in 1996,
this concept has been used by international,
European and national guidance and regulations.
In the medical imaging field,
where no dose limit applies to patient exposure,
DRLs are used to indicate to radiologists and radiographers whether,
for a standard procedure and a standard morphotype,
the patient dose is abnormally high or not.
First DRLs have been officially published in France in 2004 and updated in 2011.
The new European Directive (2013/59/EURATOM),
recently transposed into French regulation,
strengthened the use of DRLs in medical imaging and extended them to interventional radiology.
Periodical updating of these DRLs is mandatory to be in accordance with technical progress and improvement of practice,
having regard to the recommended European diagnostic reference levels where available.
Recording of delivered doses among all French imaging departments (public and private practice) is done on an annual basis by the IRSN (Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire), nation’s public service expert in nuclear and radiation risks.
New analysis and surveys have been recently performed and data are now ready for an official publication of updated DRLs.