Assessment of Radiation Exposure Dose for Nuclear Medicine Workers from F-18-FDG, Tc-99m MDP, and Tc-99m

Background: Nuclear medicine or diagnostic radiology personnel are always exposed to low-level radiation from radionuclides used in medical diagnostics, which lead to potential biological hazards or effects. Objective: External exposure for workers in two nuclear medicine centers was measured by recruiting 120 patients. Methods: Three nuclear medicine examinations were performed using F18-FDG PET/CT, Tc-99m-MDP bones scan, and Tc-99m thyroid scan by a digital radiation dosimeter. Results: The average received accumulative radiation dose for workers was found to be 0.838 +/- 0.17, 0.527 +/- 0.11, and 0.270 +/- 0.05 mu Sv for F18-FDG PET/CT, Tc-99m-MDP bones scan, and Tc-99m thyroid scan, respectively. The annual effective dose for workers was estimated to be 2.09 +/- 0.42, 1.34 +/- 0.27, and 0.68 +/- 0.14 mSv, respectively. Moreover, the average patient-to-staff dose coefficients were found to be 0.024 +/- 0.005, 0.003 +/- 0.001, and 0.007 +/- 0.002 mu Sv m(2)/MBq h for F18-FDG PET/CT, Tc-99m-MDP bones scan, and Tc-99m thyroid scan, respectively. Conclusion: It is clear from the results that the radiation doses received by workers during the nuclear medicine imaging examinations were less than the doses recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for such examinations.