ABSTRACT
Resumen: La protección gonadal ha sido durante largo tiempo un importante factor para abordar el requisito "tan bajo como sea razonablemente posible" ALARA. El presente artículo realiza una revisión sistemática sobre la utilidad de la protección gonadal en la radiografía de pelvis en la cual se han destacado los factores que tienen que ver con su realización diaria, es decir, la dosis de radiación involucrada, la radiosensibilidad de las gónadas, la posición del protector gonadal y el factor psicológico de la población en relación con su uso. La incorporación de equipamientos modernos, con dosis y protocolo optimizados, transforma el beneficio de la protección en un tema al menos debatible. Mientras algunos siguen respaldando la medida, otros organismos y autores ya no la respaldan. Es necesario reconsiderar prácticas actuales fundadas en consensos científicos que pueden estar obsoletos y considerar el factor de cambio cultural basados en estos nuevos consensos para su implementación, sin generar mayor preocupación en la población.
Abstract: Gonadal protection has long been an important factor in addressing the ALARA "as low as reasonably possible" requirement. This article performs a systematic review on the usefulness of gonadal protection in pelvic radiography, in which the factors that have to do with its daily performance have been highlighted, that is, radiation dose involved, the radiosensitivity of the gonads, the position of the gonadal shielding and the psychological factor of the population in relation to its use. The incorporation of modern equipment, with optimized dose and protocols, transforms the benefit of gonad shielding into an issue that is at least debatable. While some continue to support the measure, other agencies and authors no longer support it. It is necessary to reconsider current practices based on scientific consensus that may be obsolete and consider the factor of cultural change based on these new consensus for its implementation, without generating major concern in the population.
Subject(s)
Humans , Child , Pelvis/diagnostic imaging , Radiation Protection/methods , Gonads/radiation effects , Radiation Dosage , X-Rays , RadiographyABSTRACT
Aims:The aim of this research work is to estimate the organ dose distribution and the associated radiation induced cancer risk for some commonly performed Computerized Tomography (CT) examinationsin a tertiary medical facility in South Nigeria.Study Design:The study was designed to estimate the radiologicalimplications of radiation dose that the paediatric patients wereexposed to during routine CT examinations.Place and Duration of Study:Department of Radiology, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, Nigeria, between August 16, 2011 to August 15 2012.Methodology:Well calibrated thermoluminescent dosimeters (LiF-100) were attached to the skin of paediatricpatients such as skull,chest, abdomen, and pelvic in the path of the primary X-ray Original Research Article beam to determine radiation exposure during CT examination. The effective dose was calculated from the equivalent dose obtained from OAUTHC, and the cancer risk associatedwas estimated by multiply age-dependent lifetime cancer mortality risk (per unit dose) with estimated age-dependent doses produced by various CT examinations.Results:Out of 258 paediatric patients scanned the equivalent dose measured for abdominal CT scan ranged from 23.49 -55. 26 mSv; skull CT scan ranged from 10.07 –69.94 mSv and chest CT scan ranged from 8.60 –31.94 mSv. The peak tube voltage (kVp) used range from 80 –140 while the exposure current-time product (mA) range from 30 –300. The abdominal CT scan had the highest cancer risk ranging from digestive 37.5% to lung cancer risk of 0.4%. The risks estimated in this work were higher than the ICRP recommended value. Reducing the millampere-second setting of the equipment for paediatric without significant loss of radiological information will reduce this risk.Conclusion:In this study the estimated cancer risk to paediatric patients undergoing CT is high. This is in keeping with findings in a previous study thus emphasizing the need to standardize and optimize radiation dose in paediatric patients undergoing CT in Nigeria so as to keep cancer risk at the minimum