International Conference on Occupational Radiation Protection: Strengthening Radiation Protection of Workers – Twenty Years of Progress and the Way Forward

A questionnaire survey on radiation protection among medical staff working in cardiac catheterization laboratory

Not scheduled

1h 30m

Geneva

Poster 4. Occupational radiation protection in medicine Session 8. Occupational radiation protection in medicine

Speaker

Dr Hala Salem (Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority)

Description

Abstract
Background and aims: It is essential for cardiologist, technologists, and nurses working in e cardiac catheterization laboratory to understand radiation protection. However, protective equipment usage is still low, wearing dosimeters also very low and there is little awareness of radiation protection in practice.
Objectives: To assess the awareness and knowledge of medical stuff working in cardiac catheterization laboratory of occupational radiation protection tools and detect areas of defects in their knowledge.
Methods: We conducted a validated questionnaire to 180 participants from September 2021 to December 2021. The participants were medical staff working in cardiac catheterization laboratory including cardiology doctors, nurses, and technicians.
Results: We surveyed a total of 180 subjects from different institutions. There were 103 cardiologists (57.2%), 53 nurses (29.4%)), and 24 technologists (13.3%). Although almost all staff members (97%) always wore a lead apron, only (87%) wore a thyroid collar and lead glasses (79%). The rate of wearing a radiation dosimeter was insufficient (42%). A few subjects knew the radiation exposure dose of the procedure (19%), and slightly about (21%) had attended lectures on radiation protection. Awareness of radiation exposure doses, years of experience, knowledge of ionizing radiation, or attendance at basic lectures on radiation protection all that did not affect radiation protection among stuff significantly. However, medical doctors who were aware of the radiation exposure dose of each procedure were significantly more likely to wear dosimeters than those who were not (p=0.0006).
Conclusion: Medical staff in cardiac catheterization laboratory do not have enough radiation protection knowledge or education.
KEYWORDS: education, ionizing radiation, cardiac catheterization laboratory, questionnaire survey, occupational radiation protection, safety.

Presentation materials

Aquestionnaire survey on radiation protection among medical staff working in cardiac catheterization laboratory.pdf