Analysis of radiation exposure in radiation worker in medical facility and student in clinical practice

Abstract

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±0.331 mSv, 0.01±0.003 mSv, and 0.431±0.205 mSv, respectively, while students were exposed to 0.143±0.136 mSv. Additionally, workers in the department of radiology, oncology and nuclear medicine were exposed to surface doses of 0.131±0.331 mSv, 0.009±0.003 mSv, and 0.445±0.198 mSv, respectively, while students were exposed to 0.151±0.14 mSv, 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.