Exposure of personnel and public due to using 153Sm-labelled EDTMP-Quadramet® in nuclear medicine procedures.

The main aim of this study was to highlight the problems of personnel exposure when administering (153)Sm-labelled ethylene diamine tetramethylene phosphonate-Quadramet(®) to patients and especially to evaluate hand exposure of the personnel. The exposure levels of patients' families and the people who takes care of the patients treated by Quadramet(®) were also estimated. Thermoluminescent detectors were used to measure the doses. The doses received during the injection of the Quadramet(®) by the nursing staff have been determined at the level of 1/150 dose limit for the skin. Exposure of members of the patient's family staying 1.5 m away from the patient being treated with Quadramet(®) has been estimated to be 0.40 mGy.

Investigation of radiation protection of medical staff performing medical diagnostic examinations by using PET/CT technique.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is now one of the most important methods in the diagnosis of cancer diseases. Due to the rapid growth of PET/CT centres in Poland in less than a decade, radiation protection and, consequently, the assessment of worker exposure to ionising radiation, emitted mainly by the isotope (18)F, have become essential issues. The main aim of the study was to analyse the doses received by workers employed in the Medical Diagnostic Centre. The analysis comprises a physicist, three nurses, three physicians, three technicians, as well as two administrative staff employees. High-sensitivity thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs) were used to measure the doses for medical staff. The personnel was classified into categories, among them employees having direct contact with the 'source of radiation'-(18)FDG. The TLDs were placed on the fingertips of both hands and they were also attached at the level of eye lenses, thyroid and gonads depending on the assigned category. The highest dose of radiation was observed during the administration of the (18)FDG to the patients. In the case of the physicist, the highest dose was recorded during preparation of the radiopharmaceutical-(18)FDG. The body parts most exposed to ionizing radiation are the fingertips of the thumb, index and middle finger.