The influence of procedures performed with radio-pharmaceutics on equivalent dose to the hands of the staff

The direct contact with the sources of ionising radiation at nuclear medicine departments exposes staff hands to ionizing radiation. Medical personnel remain under constant dosimetric surveillance and are protected from radiation by using personal and permanent shields (like lead aprons, gloves or lead glass). Following the recommendation of the International Commission for Radiological Protection No. 60, and the Council Directive No. 96/29/EURATOM, since May 2002 in Poland the limit dose, expressed in terms of the equivalent dose, is equal to 20 mSv per one year; the dose may be as high as 50 mSv on condition that during the consecutive five calendar years the total dose is within 100 mSv. The limit dose expressed in terms of the equivalent dose to the skin of the hands, forearms, feet and shanks is 500 mSv. The assessment of the dose to the hands was performed by the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (N.I.O.M.) using thermoluminescent detectors placed in the eye of a ring worn on a finger. Such dosemeters are used also at the nuclear medicine departments. The primary responsibility of the medical personnel is the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals to be administered to patients for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The procedure of radiopharmaceutical preparation comprises several steps, some of which are: elution of Mo-Tc generator, measurement of technetium activity, kit reconstitution, administering the preparations to individual patients. All operations specified above are performed manually, with little use or without the use of manipulators and/or shields.In conclusion, the dose received by a hand during technetium elution from the Mo-Tc generator has a minimal impact on the equivalent dose received during the procedure of preparing the radiopharmaceuticals, kit reconstitution of radiopharmaceuticals has the strongest effect on the dose. (N.C.)