Pilot Program for the implementation of the Regulation Doc. nr. 453 of the Ministry of Health in the Image Service of the Hospital Municipal Cardoso Fontes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - preliminary results

Overall quality in radiological protection and medical image depend largely on keeping certain safety standard and technical procedures in good levels. This way, In June 1998, the Ministry of Health published the document 453 - Guidelines of Radiological Protection to Medical and Dental practices defining different levels of actions and responsibility to radiological installation where the critical starting point was the necessity of a previous quality assurance program (QAP) into the radiological service. Preliminary results of a QAP realized in the Department of Radiology of a high complexity Hospital in Rio de Janeiro has showed that, although the importance of 453 regulation be recognizing, there is a few motivation for implementing it. Besides, during 1999 was possible identify losses of 14,9 % related only to the repetition of exposures in the patients, reflecting in terms of cost about of U$ 70,000 a year. Results suggest that loss of 54% of total film are due to under or over exposures and 20% are due to inadequate positioning either film or patient, evidencing the need of training the technical and medical staff. (author)