Occupational Radiation Exposure in Anesthesia Personal from C-Arm Fluoroscopy during Orthopedic Surgical Procedures

The present study aimed to evaluate and analyze the amount of radiation received by anesthesiologists and anesthesia personal in Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran, using standard precautionary measures, to assess determinants for personal receiving high doses during orthopedic surgeries.

Ten people were included in a three month prospective study for radiation exposure measurement with adequate protection measures in all procedures requiring C-Arm fluoroscopy. Each person was provided with three Thermo Luminescent Dosimeter (TLD) badges which were tagged at the levels of neck, chest and gonads. Operating and exposure times of each procedure were recorded. Exposure dose of each badge at the end of the study was obtained and the results were analyzed. To measure dose, TLD cards containing CaS04 detectors were used. To read the data from TLDs, a TLD reader (Solaro2A) was used.

Mean radiation exposure to all the parts were well within permissible limits. There was a significantly positive correlation between the exposure time and the exposure dose for the orthopedic surgeon (r = 0.647; P < 0.01) and orthopedic residents (r = 0.49; P < 0.05). The orthopedic surgeon and residents had the maximum exposure overall. For the group of anesthetist, anesthesia resident and anesthesia nurse, the mean radiation exposure was less than the others. It was founded that the mean of absorbed dose for each fluroscopy on thyroid was 5.21 ± 2.56 mrad for the orthopedic surgeon, 1.13 ± 1.11 mrad for anesthesiologist, 1.22 ± 1.19 mrad for anesthesia resident and 1.39 ± 1.33 mrad for anesthesia personnel.

The mean exposure doses to all parts of the body of anesthetist and co-workers were well within the permissible limits. It is thus desirable that radiation safety precautions should be taken and exposures should be regularly monitored with at least one dosimeter for monitoring the whole-body dose.