Radiation Protection for Patients

Abstract

The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) has identified that medical exposures represent the largest human-made source of radiation exposure, accounting for more than 95% of radiation exposure [1]. Traditional nuclear medicine procedures (both imaging and therapy) represent about 1–5% or more of all medical imaging depending on the country [1, 2] and contribute significantly to the overall collective effective dose from diagnostic procedures. With the advent of hybrid imaging technologies, such as positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT), and most recently magnetic resonance imaging paired with PET (PET/MRI), the numbers of procedures employing radiopharmaceuticals will likely increase. Currently, the total number of nuclear medicine examinations is estimated at more than 35 million per year [3]. Along with broader usage and larger numbers of procedures comes an increasing responsibility for ensuring the many beneficial uses of radiation while preventing or minimizing detrimental radiation effects. The aim is to achieve the clinical purpose of the medical imaging and therapy with constant vigilance on overall safety. In nuclear medicine facilities, such conditions demand rigorous radiation protection programs that extend to patients, medical staff, and members of the public, as well as caretakers and comforters of the patients undergoing procedures. This chapter presents important considerations for radiation protection of the nuclear medicine patient.