Managing Occupational and Patient Doses for an Integrated Optimisation in Interventional Radiology

The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends to manage occupational doses together with patient doses for an integrated approach in optimisation for interventional radiology. In most of the cases, occupational doses are not measured for individual procedures but for monthly periods and the level of radiation protection may be different for some specific clinical procedures. Optimisation of occupational protection also requires to identify the potential problems with the proper and regular use of personal dosimetry. Optimisation may be easier with electronic personal dosimeters, including the use of ambient dosimeters at the C-arm of the interventional X-ray systems. Sometimes audit of occupational doses and a comparison with the values of the ambient (reference) dosimeter allows to identify the lack of occupational protection (e.g. the proper use of the ceiling suspended screen).