We help you define and implement radiation protection equipment and materials tailored to the activity of your nuclear medicine department. This booklet may serve not only as a reference for improving the quality of practice but also. The applicant may choose to adopt certain parts of this manual, and write new procedures for parts not adopted. Applying radiation safety standards in nuclear medicine iaea. This level of exposure would be rare and can happen only in extreme situations, such as a serious nuclear accident or a nuclear attack. The safety guide for radiation protection in nuclear medicine was again revised by the working group to take into. Radiation protection concepts and principles new health technologies and medical devices using ionizing radiation have led to major improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Nmtcb radiation safety exam nuclear medicine technology. Nuclear medicine is the second largest source of medical radiation exposure after computed tomography. Use of radiation in nuclear medicine, issued on 18 march 2003. Proper application of radiation shielding in nuclear medicine is essential to ensure the protection and safety for both patients and technicians.
The nmtcbrs credential is designed to establish a technologists expertise in all aspects of ram and ct radiation safety issues, while also verifying their competency in fluoroscopy, xray, and mri safety matters. The desired outcome in these cases is to kill the diseased cells. It will be of use to those working in both new and more developed nuclear medicine. The aim of our study was to audit the professional radiation exposure and exposure rate of. Among these radiation workers 25 are working in the department of nuclear medicine. Radiation protection in nuclear medicine why is it important. Radiation protection wisconsin department of health services. American college of radiology american association of physicists in medicine. This manual was created to provide health care workers with information on how to work safely in these different environments. Helsinki 20 issn 07894716 isbn 9789524787789 pdf isbn 9789524787796 html 1 general 3 2 definitions 3 3 use of radiation and the safety licence 3 3. Radiation safety manual for nuclear substances, radiation. Radiation is energy in the form of waves or streams of particles. Radiation has been used for more than a century to diagnose diseases and conditions, contributing greatly to advances in medical care.
Radiation can damage health in ways other than cancer. Wisconsin became the 33rd agreement state effective august 11, 2003. Pdf nuclear medicine physicians and radiation safety. Radiation safety in the treatment of patients with thyroid diseases by radioiodine 1i. Table 1 provides examples of nuclear substances commonly used in therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures and manual brachytherapy, and their respective applications. General radiation safety rules and regulations part 2. Global initiative on radiation safety in healthcare settings. Pdf basic physics and radiation safety in nuclear medicine. Duties and responsibilities of the radiation safety officer and delegation of authority. Radiation protection radiation protection guidelines for safe. Read and follow the general procedure for wipe testing found in appendix r of wisreg1556, volume 9, revision 2. Professional radiation exposure cannot be avoided in nuclear medicine practices.
The present booklet best practice in nuclear medicine part 2 covers important items, such as european regulatory issues, best practice in radiation protection, quality assurance of equipment and best practice in procurement. Nuclear shielding is especially important for technicians who operate imaging equipment, and are subjected to repeated exposure. Louis wagner, the chief physicist at the university of texas medical school at houston, explains the important distinction between risk of use and overuse of nonenergy. See the safety in xray, interventional radiology and nuclear medicine procedures page for more information about pregnancy and breastfeeding related to nuclear medicine imaging. Principles of radiation protection in nuclear medicine. It is less likely, but damage to genetic material in reproductive cells can cause genetic mutations, which could be. In general, radiation from nuclear medicine procedures is similar to that from other radiologic procedures and from natural background radiation. Read and follow the general procedure for wipe testing found in appendix r of wisreg1556, volume 9, revision 2 and the uw radiation safety manual, part 7. Radiation is used in nuclear medicine and radiology. Nuclear medicine scans detect the radiation coming from a radioactive material inside a patients body. The safety guide for radiation protection in nuclear medicine is one of three guides that support the application of the code of practice for radiation protection in the medical applications of ionizing radiation the code.
Tell the doctor and the technologist performing your exam about any medications you are taking, including vitamins and herbal supplements. Protection in nuclear medicine was again revised by the working group to take into account. Other forms of radiation, such as xrays and gamma rays, are employed in. Who global initiative on radiation safety in healthcare settings. Read radiation safety in nuclear medicine by max h. Dose estimates for nuclear medicine scans this document contains radiation dose estimates for a number of radiopharmaceuticals commonly used in nuclear medicine. Essential information for radiation safety officers at medical imaging facilities. The international basic safety standards bss are the international benchmark for radiation safety.
Radiation protection radiation protection guidelines for. National conference on radiation protection in medicine was held on 3 october 2007, during the public consultation period, to provide the stakeholders a forum to discuss the code and safety guides. An imaging exam is done only when a doctor feels it is. When people hear the word radiation, they often think of atomic energy, nuclear power and radioactivity, but radiation has many other forms. Your doctor uses these images to diagnose and treat your health condition. Radiation safety in the treatment of patients with thyroid. Guide for diagnostic nuclear regulatory commission. Complete solutions that cover all the needs of a nuclear medicine department. Very high radiation area an accessible area where an individual could receive an absorbed dose in excess of 500 rads 5 grays in 1 hour at 1 meter from a radiation source or from any surface that the radiation penetrates. Rso duties and responsibilities include ensuring radiological safety and compliance with california, us nuclear regulatory commission nrc and department of. Radiation protection of workers and the public in nuclear medicine introduction.
In nuclear medicine, radioactive materials known as radioisotopes, or radiopharmaceuticals, are introduced into the body. Radiation safety officer qualifications for medical facilities report of aapm task group 160 november 2010 published for the americanassociation of physicists in medicine by medical physics publishing task group 160 james e. If you wish to provide rhb with an alternate address that will be released to the public upon request, please submit form cdph 8391 pdf. What levels of radiation are involved with diagnostic nuclear medicine. Advances to the field of nuclear medicine are treated sufficiently in this edition e. The magnitude of exposure depends on radionuclide, its activity and type of work within a department in which the person is involved. The most familiar form of radiation is visible light, like that produced from the sun or a light bulb. Diagnostic imaging requirements issued august 10, 2015. The benefits of nuclear medicine procedures are immense and certainly exceed the risks. Sources of radiation are used at uva for diagnosis, therapy and research. Nuclear medicine shielding nuclear radiation shielding.
The nuclear medicine physician will select the tracer that will provide the most specific and reliable information for a. Hybrid imaging systems integrating nuclear medicine imaging and computed tomography ct into. Nuclear medicine is described by three elements clinical problem, the radiopharmaceutical and the instrumentation. Radiation safety in nuclear medicine procedures ncbi.
In contrast, other imaging procedures for example, xray and computed tomography or ct scan obtain images by using machines that send radiation through the body. Safety in xray, interventional radiology and nuclear. Safety guide for radiation protection in nuclear medicine arpansa. Sample radioactive emergency posting sign p00248 pdf radioactive materials. Since nuclear medicine involves exposure of patients, the general principles of radiation protection should be applied. It is also used in the basic sciences such as biology, in drug discovery and in preclinical medicine. This is the second edition of this book, first published in. The radiologic health branch rhb is within the radiation safety and environmental management division of the department of public health. Radiation safety manual for nursing staff word pdf. Approved tracers are called radiopharmaceuticals since they must meet fdas exacting standards for safety and appropriate performance for the approved clinical use.
Healthcare inspection radiation safety in veterans health. Nuclear regulatory commission and the governor signed an agreement transferring regulatory authority over byproduct, source and special nuclear materials to the state. It can only be minimized up to some extent by implementing good work practices. Safety in xray, interventional radiology and nuclear medicine procedures xray safety radiologists and xray technologists are trained to use the smallest amount of radiation necessary to obtain xray images. Communicating radiation risks in paediatric imaging information to support healthcare discussions about benefit and risk 29 chapter 2. The nmtcb has developed a postprimary certification exam for radiation safety. International atomic energy agency, applying radiation safety standards in nuclear medicine, safety reports series no. The bss are used in many countries as the basis for national legislation to protect workers, patients, the public and the environment from the risks of ionizing radiation. Nuclear medicine resources manual this manual provides comprehensive guidance, at the international level, on many aspects of nuclear medicine practice, including education, training, facilities and equipment, quality systems, and radiopharmacy and clinical practice. What you should know about radiation and nuclear medicine. Page 2 of 100 delegates at the who hq, geneva during 15 th to 17 th december 2008 for the technical meeting on the who global initiative on radiation safety in healthcare settings. One of the policies that help to minimize radiation dose to nuclear medicine technologists is called the alara policy. Snmmi and safebeneficial medical uses of radiation snmmi.
Practice recommendations of the american thyroid association the american thyroid association taskforce on radioiodine safety james c. This code stipulates radiation safety requirements in handling radioactive materials for nuclear medicine applications in order to. Nuclear medicine image wisely radiation safety in adult. Clinical radiation safety university of california, san. Occupational exposure in nuclear medicine devakumar department of nuclear medicine christian medical college vellore 2. However, this is only true when they are ordered appropriately and studies are optimized to obtain the best image quality with the lowest radiation dose. Committee, the medical radiation protection committee, and the. In response to pra requests, rhb may release the address of record for radiologic technologists, xray technicians, nuclear medicine technologists, and certified supervisor and operators.
Radiation therapy computed tomography fluoroscopy quality assurance oversight patient safety nuclear medicine background. Radiation safety medical use of radioactive material, uvaehs. All diagnostic nuclear medicine facilities must reevaluate their procedures and protection programs to determine whether these remain in compliance and what. Precautions for these patients are minimal, use standard formerly universal precautions when caring for these patients and while handling any bodily fluids. Sisson,1 john freitas,2 iain ross mcdougall,3 lawrence t.
Introduction to radiation canadian nuclear safety commission. Duties and responsibilities of the radiation safety. Radiation safety audit of a high volume nuclear medicine. Communication of radiation risk in nuclear medicine. These radiation workers are involved in various procedures using unseated radio isotopes. National conference on radiation protection in medicine was held on. Nuclear medicine imaging uses safe, painless, and costeffective techniques to image the body and treat disease. As with all places of employment, nuclear medicine, medical physics and research departments in the united kingdom which use radiation are required by legislation to make risk assessments. Other forms of radiation, such as xrays and gamma rays, are employed in a number of beneficial applications, including medicine.
The manual may be used as a guide by the applicant in preparing nuclear medicine radiation safety procedures. Patients receiving less than 5 millicuries of i1 or receiving diagnostic doses of other radionuclides do not typically present radiation hazards. Applying radiation safety standards in nuclear medicine. Occupational radiation safety in nuclear medicine 1.
The radiation risk arising from nuclear medicine investigations represents a small but manageable risk to patients and it needs to be effectively communicated to them. It uses very small amounts of radioactive pharmaceuticals and traces their progress through your body. Nuclear medicine involves handling of radioactive materials that can give rise to external and internal exposure of staff. Nuclear medicine is unique, because it helps doctors view how your body is functioning. Radiation protection in nuclear medicine nuclear safety and. The branch enforces the laws and regulations addressing ionizing radiation, including radioactive material, designed to protect the public, radiation workers, and the environment. Radiation safety officer qualifications for medical facilities. Lombardi for online ebookradiation safety in nuclear medicine by max h. Atomic energy agency, applying radiation safety standards in nuclear medicine, safety reports series no. Radiation protection of workers and the public in nuclear.
The international basic safety standards for protection against ionizing radiation and for the safety of radiation. Nuclear medicine uses radionuclides in medicine for diagnosis, staging of disease, therapy and monitoring the response of a disease process. Nuclear medicine is the use of radioactive sources in liquid form in medical diagnosis, therapy, and biomedical research. Radiologic health branch california department of public health. This resource provides effective dose and organ doses for adults, and in some cases children, and can be used to estimate the radiation. As with all medical procedures, the safety of nuclear medicine procedures is. Apr 10, 2017 radiation is used in nuclear medicine and radiology.
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