Implementation of an action plan in radiological protection of the patient in Argentina

The medical irradiations constitute the main contribution to the human exposure to ionizing radiations of artificial character. The growing quantity of practices, facilities and human resources dedicated to such ends, it has increased the concern of regulator organisms and scientific societies by the radiological protection of the patient (PRP). Besides completing it regulatory function in the domains of the medical practices that its concern it, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN) of Argentina, decided to install an active discussion in order to promoting an action plan in PRP in the national environment. To such end, the ARN organized the First National Day on PRP in December, 2004, with the attendance of professionals of the fields of the Radiodiagnostic, the Nuclear Medicine and the Radiotherapy as well as of representatives of professional associations and authorities of health. In this day the conclusions of the International Conference on PRP (Malaga, 2001) and the approaches of the Directive 97/43/EURATOM adopted in European countries were presented. It was discussed about: practices justification, responsibility of the prescriber doctor, quality systems, dose optimization, reference levels, dosimetry, training of human resources, especially for certain practices (pregnant woman, pediatric radiology and interventionist, PR/118 tomography for the correct application of diagnostic practices and an expert presented in teleconference form the experience of France for the adoption of these guides. During the Second National Day on PRP organized by the ARN (June 2005), received opinions were debated in the different environments in relation to the PR/118 guide and it potential adaptation to the national conditions. Also it was presented the state of advance of the activities developed in relation to the proposed tasks. As a result of this meeting, it was conformed a national net of PRP to which intended to incorporate academic institutions, in order to consider the inclusion of topics of PRP in the medical grade formation. Work groups were constituted in Radiodiagnostic, Radiotherapy, Nuclear Medicine and the PRP of the pregnant woman that agreed the contents and chronograph of a work plan to short and medium term that is at the moment in execution. The continuity of this coordinated action facilitated the execution of the proposed objectives. In this communication the results obtained until the present of the action plan for the PRP implemented in the Argentina starting from the year 2004 are presented. (Author)