Abstract
The use of radiation in the health sector is of tremendous diagnostic and therapeutic benefit to patients. However, scatter radiation associated with its use poses detrimental risks to occupational staff and other health personnel whose activities are associated with the use of radiation. Therefore, there is a need to ensure effective monitoring of occupational exposed health personnel. Presently, the effectiveness of this programme at the biggest tertiary hospital in Ghana is however unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate if occupationally exposed radiographers in the biggest tertiary referral hospital in Ghana were monitored in compliance with international regulations. A quantitative descriptive survey design was used to obtain data on radiation monitoring in the biggest tertiary referral hospital in Ghana from February 2014 to April 2014. Two different tools, observation and questionnaire, were employed for data collection from 50 radiographers purposively sampled in the study. The data was analysed with Microsoft Excel 2010. A 100 % response rate was obtained. All respondents were monitored by means of a TLD badge except 4(8 %) who did not have any personal radiation monitoring device. Although 86 % of respondents confirmed that their personnel dosimeters were collected for reading after 3 months of use, all the respondents however, did not receive TLD readings feedback until after 3 or more months. In particular, 38 % of diagnostic radiographers claimed they never received any feedback, while 66 % respondents indicated radiation monitoring in their various departments were unsatisfactory. Delays from the service provider (regulatory body) were identified as the causes of irregularities in supply of dosimeters and monitoring feedback. Radiation monitoring of occupational personnel at the biggest tertiary hospital was unsatisfactory and did not meet required standards. Hospital management and the regulatory body should ensure strict compliance with international regulations for purposes of achieving occupational radiation safety.
Highlights
The use of radiation in the health sector is of tremendous diagnostic and therapeutic benefit to patients
All respondents were monitored by means of a thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) badge except 4(8 %) who did not have any personal radiation monitoring device
86 % of respondents confirmed that their personnel dosimeters were collected for reading after 3 months of use, all the respondents did not receive TLD readings feedback until after 3 or more months
Summary
The use of radiation in the health sector is of tremendous diagnostic and therapeutic benefit to patients. The annual per capital effective dose has doubled over the past decade due to the daily increase in diagnostic procedures [2] This implies that more people are exposed to ionizing radiation for either diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. Due to the detrimental effects of x-rays, it is necessary to keep all radiation exposures and radiation doses to occupational (staff ), medical (patients) and public (general public) as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) or practicable (ALARP) [4]. This can only be achieved if there is strict adherence to all regulations pertaining to the administration of x-rays for the safety of users and recipients. The earliest occupational group exposed to ionizing radiation, comprise the highest number of radiation workers in Ghana and about 2.3 million worldwide [5, 10, 11]
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