• Journal of Radiation Industry
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.47-54
• /
• 2017

Compared to other occupations, there is a greater risk of exposure to radiation due to the use of radioisotopes in nuclear medicine for diagnostic evaluations and therapy. To consider ways to reduce exposure dose for those in nuclear medicine involved in injection work and elution work among radiation workers as well as for sanitation workers and trainees among frequent workers an investigation into exposure dose and situational analysis from changes in yearly exposure dose evaluations, changes in work environment and changes in forms of inspection were conducted. Exposure dose measurements were taken by using EPD MK2 worn during working hours for one injection worker, one elution worker, two sanitation workers, and one trainee at a general hospital in the Seoul area for three days from July 18th to 20th 2016. Radiation from radioisotopes which are a part of nuclear medicine can significantly affect not only radiation workers who deal with radioisotopes directly but also frequency works as well. According to this study the annual dose limit for elution workers and injection workers were considered safe as the amount of exposure was not large enough to have a significant effect. The limits of this study consist in the duration of this study and the quantity of participants. Also there was a limitation of the measurement device involving accumulated exposure, where the EPD MK2 cannot check the changes in exposure according to a particular activity.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.97-124
• /
• 2021

In medical institutions, there are radiation-related workers such as radiological technologists, physicians, dentists, and dental hygienists who handle diagnostic radiation generators. Also, there are work assistants, such as nurses and assistant nurses, who assist in radiation treatment or transfer patients to the radiation examination room. Radiation exposure management for radiation-related workers is carried out under the 「Medical Service Act」, but there is no legal basis for work assistants, etc. And the management of radiation exposure for diagnosis is regulated by the 「Medical Service Act」, and the management of radiation exposure by therapeutic radiation and nuclear medical examination is governed by the 「Nuclear Safety Act」. Thus, to improve the management of radiation exposure for diagnosis, the regulations on radiation exposure management for diagnosis under the 「Medical Service Act」 were compared and reviewed with those of the 「Nuclear Safety Act」. As a result, the main contents are as follows. First, it is necessary to legislate to include nurses, assistant nurses, and clinical practice students who are likely to be exposed to radiation besides radiationrelated workers as subjects of radiation exposure management for diagnosis. Second, when a radiation-related worker for diagnosis is confirmed to be pregnant, the exposure dose limit should be defined. Third, it is necessary to revise the regulations on the types of personal exposure dosimeters in the 「Rules on the Safety Management of Radiation Generators for Diagnostics」. Fourth, it seems that health examination items for radiation-related workers, radiation workers, and frequent visitors should be the same. Fifth, It is necessary to unify and regulate diagnostic radiation and all medical radiation, including therapeutic radiation and nuclear medicine, in one legal system.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.17 no.8
• /
• pp.442-448
• /
• 2016

This study was conducted to determine the appropriateness of systemic radiation exposure control for students in clinical practice by comparing radiation exposure in radiography employees at different stations of a hospital with that of students conducting clinical practice using identical stations. Overall, 121 students who conducted clinical practice in the department of radiology area of C university hospital from July 2014 to August 2014 and 62 workers working in the same medical facility (47 in the department of radiology, 8 in the department of radiation oncology, 7 in the department of nuclear medicine) were investigated. The radiation exposure experienced by students was measured for 8 weeks, which is the duration of the clinical practice. Additionally, radiation exposure of workers were classified into 4 groups, department of radiology, department of radiation oncology, and department of nuclear medicine was compared. Dose was measured with OSLD and differences among groups were identified by ANOVA followed by Duncan's multiple range test. Among employees, those in the department of radiology, oncology and nuclear medicine were exposed depth doses of $0.127{\pm}0.331mSv$, $0.01{\pm}0.003mSv$, and $0.431{\pm}0.205mSv$, respectively, while students were exposed to $0.143{\pm}0.136mSv$. Additionally, workers in the department of radiology, oncology and nuclear medicine were exposed to surface doses of $0.131{\pm}0.331mSv$, $0.009{\pm}0.003mSv$, and $0.445{\pm}0.198mSv$, respectively, while students were exposed to $0.151{\pm}0.14mSv$, which was significantly different in both doses (p < 0.01). The average dose that students received is higher than that of the other groups (except for nuclear medicine workers), indicating that further improvements must be made in systemic controls for individual radiation exposure by including the students as subjects of management for protection from radiation.