Professional exposure to ionizing radiations in an university hospital: experience of a prevention programme

Ionizing radiation use in medicine is more and more extensive, in techniques that include diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Therefore, there are a crescent number of healthcare workers exposed to ionizing radiation. Our aims were to show the experience of an occupational health department programme oriented to radioprotection of healthcare workers. In a methological level, we did a systematization of some actions, oriented to radioprotection of 537 healthcare workers included in the programme. Some results are: the accumulated effective doses were between 0 mSv e 161,95 mSv. The greatest doses were measured in healthcare workers working in intervention cardiology. There were only 17 healthcare workers classified as A category. Nevertheless, we could confirm that some professionals used the dosimeter in an incorrect way. The equivalent dose in hands was controlled since mid 2009 in some Departments. Healthcare workers showed annual doses between 0 mSv (professionals working with iodum -125 for radioimmunoassay analysis) and 32,4 mSv (doctors working in cardiology and nephrology interventions). We can conclude that, although doses were less than legal dose limits, a radioprotection programme for healthcare workers in a hospital is very important to control and reduce ionizing radiation exposure.