Assessment of Radiation Exposure Dose for Nuclear Medicine Workersfrom 18F-FDG, 99mTc MDP, and 99mTc

Abstract

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, 99mTc-MDP bones scan, and 99mTc 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 μSv for F18-FDG PET/CT, 99mTc-MDP bones scan, and 99mTc 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 μSv m2/MBq h for F18-FDG PET/CT, 99mTc-MDP bones scan, and 99mTc 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 Commis-sion on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for such examinations.