Radiation protection of nuclear medicine workers in the Czech Republic in 2003 -some results of SONS and questionnaire survey II

Our paper presents the most. important data concerning an equipment of 45 nuclear medicine departments (depts.) with radiation protection facilities and aids. The results of the questionnaire survey mentioned in our previous paper are briefly summarized here. A relatively low radiation burden of nuclear medicine staff suggests the standard of radiation protection measures to be relatively good in our country. However, our survey shows some shortcomings, especially the following ones: (1) some depts. need equipment for the preparation and dispensing of radiopharmaceuticals; (2) syringe shields for injection of beta-emitters such as 90Y are missing Iargely; (3) at some depts. shielding of staff from the patient containing a radiopharmaceutical is either missing or insufficient. Some deficiencies, including those not mentioned here, cannot be considered too significant. If syringe shields for beta-emitters are not available, Pb shields can be provisionally used. It would be desirable to replace the Pb shields by tungsten ones having the same effectiveness as Pb shields but smaller dimensions enabling a more comfortable injections (of course, tungsten syringe shields were available at four depts. which administered 18F-FDG in 2003). An acquaintance of depts. with the results of our survey is believed to stimulate nuclear medicine workers to improve further radiation protection in compliance with legislative requirements. (authors)