ICRP Publication 153: Radiological Protection in Veterinary Practice

Abstract

Veterinary use of radiation in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of disease has expanded and diversified, as have the corresponding radiological protection concerns. Radiological exposure of personnel involved in veterinary procedures and, where applicable, members of the public providing assistance (e.g. owners or handlers) has always been included within the system of radiological protection. Veterinary practice is now addressed explicitly as the modern complexities associated with this practice warrant dedicated consideration, and there is a need to clarify and strengthen the application of radiological protection principles in this area. The Commission recommends that the system of radiological protection should be applied in veterinary practice principally for the protection of humans, but with explicit attention to the protection of exposed animals. Additionally, consideration should be given to the risk of potential contamination of the environment associated with applications of nuclear medicine in veterinary practice. This publication focuses primarily on justification and optimisation in veterinary practice, and sets the scene for more detailed guidance to follow in future Recommendations. It is intended for a wide-ranging audience, including radiological protection professionals, veterinary staff, students, education and training providers, and members of the public, as an introduction to radiological protection in veterinary practice. © 2022 ICRP. Published by SAGE.

Review of ethical values across the ICRP’s system of radiological protection

“…However, the 'principlist' approach is intended to be cross-culturally relevant while also providing a practical, accessible framework for discussion and decision-making [1,[24][25][26][27]. This principle-based (or value-based) approach of Publication 138 is reflected in Publications 153 [28] and 157 [29], described further below (sections 2.3 and 2.4, respectively).…”

“…ICRP Publication 153 includes discussion of ethical values applicable to radiological protection in veterinary practice, with consideration given to the similarities and overlap between veterinary and medical applications as well as overlap with environmental protection [28]. Table 3 highlights links between the core and procedural ethical values of Publication 138 to more specific values for the given context, although there are many interrelationships between these values [1,28].…”

“…ICRP Publication 153 includes discussion of ethical values applicable to radiological protection in veterinary practice, with consideration given to the similarities and overlap between veterinary and medical applications as well as overlap with environmental protection [28]. Table 3 highlights links between the core and procedural ethical values of Publication 138 to more specific values for the given context, although there are many interrelationships between these values [1,28]. Like Publication 91, some of the values listed are specifically applicable to animals, some are applicable to people, and some are applicable to people, animals as patients, and the environment more broadly, as radiological protection in veterinary practice involves protection of the animal patient, workers, members of the public, and the environment [28,43].…”

“…Table 3 highlights links between the core and procedural ethical values of Publication 138 to more specific values for the given context, although there are many interrelationships between these values [1,28]. Like Publication 91, some of the values listed are specifically applicable to animals, some are applicable to people, and some are applicable to people, animals as patients, and the environment more broadly, as radiological protection in veterinary practice involves protection of the animal patient, workers, members of the public, and the environment [28,43]. Publication 153 describes these values and relationships between them in more detail, but briefly, animal welfare is linked to beneficence/non-maleficence because it is concerned with animal health and avoiding unnecessary suffering in animals.…”

Improving noise characteristics using a modified image pyramid with guided filtering and Bayesian shrinkage threshold in low-dose animal radiography

“…Recently, the market for animal radiography is rapidly growing owing to the increasing awareness of the welfare of companion animals and the expansion of animal clinics. As the clinical use of radiography in animal hospitals has grown rapidly, there is a growing awareness of the need for explicit attention to the protection of animals exposed to radiation [2]. Consequently, radiologists are actively seeking methods to reduce radiation doses for animals.…”