Evaluation of Exposure and Awareness of Radiation in Healthcare Professionals Exposed to Ionizing Radiation

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate radiation exposure and awareness of radiation in healthcare professionals exposed to ionizing radiation.Material and Methods: The study was carried out in Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University Training and Research Hospital and Süleyman Demirel University Hospital. Physicians, nurses, paramedics, anesthesia technicians, caregivers and cleaning staff exposed to radiation participated in the study. An inquiry form was prepared to carry out the study. In this form, the demographic characteristics of the healthcare professionals, the characteristics related to the radiation they were exposed to, the effects that may occur due to this exposure were asked and the relationship between them was statistically analyzed according to the answers.Results: One hundred twenty nine healthcare professionals, 81 men and 48 women, participated in the study. Most of the healthcare professionals exposed to radiation have been working for more than 10 years and at a distance of less than 3 meters to the radiation source. Thirty-two (24.8%) of the participants does not use any personal protective equipment. On the day of exposure to radiation, 91 (70.54%) people were feeling a complaint such as weakness, fatigue, and headache, unlike other days. It was determined that personal protective equipment use was not related to education level and radiation education background.Conclusion: Most of the healthcare professionals exposed to radiation have not received any education on radiation previously and do not use personal protective equipment regularly now. This situation causes the person to have complaints such as weakness, tiredness or headache at the end of the day.