Surgical Staff Research Articles

Distress of surgical nursing personnel in dealing with patients with dementia : An integrative review.

Challenging behavior of patients with dementia (PawD) leads to distress among nursing staff in acute hospital settings. Different levels of distress can be assumed between medical and surgical staff. Less is known about distress in surgical departments. The aim is to summarize and synthesize current empirical studies on distress experienced by surgical nursing staff in dealing with PawD and the associated occurrence of challenging behavior. As part of an integrative review, aliterature search was conducted in September 2024 in the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE (via PubMed) and PubPsych. German and English language studies from January 2011 onwards were included to reflect the most recent empirical results. The analysis was carried out according to the 4phases of Whittemore and Knafl. A total of 7studies were included in which surgical nursing staff described distress in connection with the topics of challenging behavior, in the form of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), communication, hospital setting, implementation of person-centered approaches and training as well as pain assessment and identification. Surgical nursing personnel need more opportunities and knowledge to be able to deal more confidently with the distress and challenges of dealing with PawD. Further studies are necessary to be able to make more reliable statements.

HPB SO53 - Implementation of High Volume-Low Complexity 'GIRFT' lists for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Abstract Background Waiting times for elective surgery have risen steadily since 2010, with particularly sharp increases after the Covid pandemic. There have been several initiatives to improve theatre productivity and increase operative numbers and these are broadly encompassed within GIRFT standards and the development of the concept of a High Volume-Low Complexity list. Current GIRFT standards recommend six laparoscopic cholecystectomies on an all-day operating list. This study aimed to describe the development and implementation of these lists within out district general hospital setting and outline the key barriers and solutions for other units to learn from. Method All patients on the waiting list for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were assessed and screened by a panel of consultant surgeons to assess suitability for a HVLC list. Theatre staff, anaesthetists and surgeons were widely consulted within local focus groups and a novel method of remuneration for additional work was developed: a 'cost-per-case (CPC)' remuneration structure was introduced (in contrast to standard remuneration by session time) to ensure productivity and high quality surgery. Operations were carried out on weekend lists in a dedicated accredited Elective Surgical Hub and staff were able to finish the day when all operations were completed. Results CPC lists took place from August 2023 to May 2024. All lists had six laparoscopic cholecystectomies or eight hernia repairs (or a combination) in line with GIRFT standards. Overall 124 cholecystectomies were performed and 119 were completed on a day case basis. The remaining 5 patients had a single night stay. There were no returns-to-theatre or major morbidity. All lists had started by 830AM and the latest finish time throughout the study period was 1525PM. The utilisation of CPC lists contributed to waiting times falling dramatically from over 52 weeks to 28 weeks by the end of the study period. Conclusion By utilising a novel form of remuneration, based on volume of work completed rather than time, we were able to maximise productivity without compromising safety whilst developing employment conditions that encouraged colleagues to perform additional work. Key facets to successful implementation include appropriate screening of cases, allowing staff to leave when the work is completed (rather than have to wait till the end of the day) and standardising equipment and kit to reduce wastage and turnaround time between cases. These lessons can be implemented in any surgical unit to improve productivity and increase volume of cases performed.

MINARO DRS: usability study of a robotic-assisted laminectomy.

Although the literature shows that robotic assistance can support the surgeon, robotic systems are not widely spread in clinics. They often incorporate large robotic arms adopted from the manufacturing industry, imposing safety hazards when in contact with the patient or surgical staff. We approached this limitation with a modular dual robot consisting of an ultra-lightweight carrier robot for rough prepositioning and small, highly dynamic, application-specific, interchangeable tooling robots. A formative usability study with N = 10 neurosurgeons was conducted using a prototype of a novel tooling robot for laminectomy to evaluate the system's usability. The participants were asked to perform three experiments using the robotic system: (1) prepositioning with the carrier robot and milling into (2) a block phantom as well as (3) a spine model. All neurosurgeons could perform a simulated laminectomy on a spine phantom using the robotic system. On average, they rated the usability of this first prototype already between good and excellent (SUS-Score above 75%). Eight out of the ten participants preferred robotic-assisted milling over manual milling. For prepositioning, the developed haptic guidance showed significantly higher effectiveness and efficiency than visual navigation. The proposed dual robot system showed the potential to increase safety in the operating room because of the synergistic hands-on control and the ultra-lightweight design of the carrier robot. The modular design allows for easy adaptation to various surgical procedures. However, improvements are needed in the ergonomics of the tooling robot and the complexity of the virtual fixtures. The cooperative dual robot system can subsequently be tested in a cadaver laboratory and in vivo on animals.

Gender-Specific and Cross-Gender Reasons for Choosing 'Surgeon' as a Career - A Scoping Review

The availability of highly qualified surgical staff in Germany has been a challenge for years. Despite various initiatives to increase the attractiveness of surgical training programs, there are still problems in attracting motivated and qualified doctors to surgery. In order to develop customized offers for recruiting junior staff, the decision-making factors must be known. To present the gender-specific and cross-gender reasons for choosing a surgical specialist training program. As part of a scoping review, studies were identified using PubMed and a subsequent reverse search to answer the research question. Data extracted from the studies were summarized narratively and categories were defined. The analysis of 12 studies revealed that men and women wanted to become a surgeon based on the characteristics of the surgical specialty, personal factors and factors related to the training position. Gender-specific differences were also identified. Specific measures are proposed to promote the next generation of surgeons.

Development of the scoliosis research society spinal deformity surgery safety checklist.

Spine deformity surgery is a complex multi-step procedure that has a relatively high complication rate. The use of surgical safety checklists has been shown to reduce perioperative adverse events, but existing lists are varied and non-specific for spinal deformity surgery. Thus, the purpose of this study was to develop a comprehensive surgical checklist for complex spinal corrective surgery. An electronic survey consisting of 187 surgical checklist items that had been developed and used by a group of SRS members over a 5-year period was distributed to the Scoliosis Research Society Safety and Value Committee membership. The survey sections included: (1) pre-operative area, (2) initial operating room visit, (3) before turning, (4) positioning, (5) prepare and drape, (6) pre-incision timeout, (7) intraoperative, (8) finishing implant placement and confirming imaging, (9) final rods and locking, (10) prior to closure, (11) closure, (12) turn to supine, and (13) checkout/debriefing. Respondents graded each item on a five-point Likert scale based on their perceived importance and feasibility for inclusion in the checklist. Features graded as "moderately important" or "very important" to include by at least 70% of respondents were considered to meet the cutoff for inclusion-based standard Delphi practices. Study data were collated using REDCap. A total of 25 surgeons completed the survey in its entirety. The overall checklist "package" was shortened to 9 individual checklist modules, with 2 to 16 items per checklist. In terms of individual checklist items, 40% of items (74 of 187) met the cutoff for inclusion; 17 of these items were graded as "very important," which included verifying the presence of implantable devices, reviewing the surgical plan and positioning with the surgical staff, securing the endotracheal tube, bite block confirmation, prone and lateral positioning, neuromonitoring baseline readings, double-checking that the implant screw caps were locked prior to closure, and confirming that the patient was moving bilateral lower extremities before leaving the operating room when possible. This study has led to the development of a specific spinal deformity surgical checklist of 74 (many specific to spine surgery) items that were considered important for inclusion; 17 were considered "very important".

Improving the provision of emotional support for patients following major lower limb amputation

Major lower limb amputation (MLLA) is a lifesaving but life-altering surgical procedure. Psychological distress is common and typically heightened in the acute postoperative period. Despite the negative impact that poor...

Binary and Nonbinary Transgender Patient Experiences Accessing Gender-affirming Top Surgery.

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals face barriers when seeking top surgery, or bilateral mastectomies, as part of surgical transition, leading to delayed care and adverse health outcomes. Understanding differential experiences between nonbinary and binary patients is crucial for improving TGD patient care, but this distinction is seldom made in the current literature. This single-center cross-sectional mixed-methods survey study conducted between 2022 and 2023 enrolled all consecutive TGD patients undergoing top surgery. Significant differences between datasets were determined by two-sample unpaired t tests. Summative content analysis and descriptive analysis were performed for free-text responses. Thirty-seven binary and 71 nonbinary patients completed the survey. Lack of funding, long wait times within the healthcare system, and long wait times to access surgery were the three most impactful barriers for both cohorts. Nonbinary patients were more impacted by a lack of TGD-friendly surgeons and community physicians, prejudice from surgical center staff and community doctors, and employment concerns. More binary patients desired a "masculine chest" and to stop using a binder. The nonbinary group more frequently desired a "smaller chest" and had greater variability of surgical goals. Binary and nonbinary TGD patients both experience barriers to top surgery; however nonbinary patients may experience distinct barriers and have differential surgical goals. It is important to discuss specific surgery goals and offer top surgery options beyond bilateral mastectomy with nipple grafting, especially with nonbinary patients.

Does performing cardiac surgery after hours impact postoperative outcomes? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

There has been concern regarding the safety of cardiac surgical intervention during off-hours. Sleep deprivation, resource limitations, and an increased case urgency have been postulated to increase off-hours surgical risk, although outcomes are inconsistent in the existing literature. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we review the literature comparing patients undergoing cardiac surgery during on and off-hours. PubMed and Embase were systematically searched for literature published from January 2000-September 2023, comparing outcomes of patients undergoing cardiac surgery during on and off-hours. Overall, 3540 manuscript titles and abstracts were screened and 11 articles were included. Overall aggregate analysis indicated no significant differences in rates of in-hospital mortality(OR 1.04; 95% CI, 0.41-2.63; P=0.93) and perioperative morbidity, including stroke (P=0.52), reoperation (P=0.92), major bleeding (P=0.10), and renal complications (P=0.55). Composite rates of sternal wound infection favored on-hours surgery (P=0.01). Although inferior outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery during off-hours have been noted, aggregate analysis largely revealed equivalent perioperative morbidity and mortality during on and off-hours surgery, although with the exclusion of one outlier study in-hospital mortality and reoperation favored on-hours surgery. Heterogeneity in outcomes is likely multifactorial, with surgical staff fatigue, patient preoperative risk, clinical setting, and resource limitations all contributing. Further investigation is required directly comparing emergent cardiac surgical intervention during on-hours and off-hours controlling for baseline surgical risk to elucidate the true impact of timing of surgery on postoperative outcomes.

2024 Conference Poster Collection: Surgical Smoke, Sharps, and Staff Safety.

2024 Conference Poster Collection: Surgical Smoke, Sharps, and Staff Safety.

Leading Through Noise: Operating Room Noise Challenges for Staff and Leadership Techniques to Ensure Optimal Operational Performance.

Noise and distractions in the operating room (OR) critically impact surgical performance and patient outcomes, particularly in high-stakes environments such as trauma surgery. While historical hospital environments prioritized quiet to facilitate recovery and reduce stress, contemporary ORs, especially those handling trauma cases, face increasing noise challenges due to advanced surgical instruments, alarms, and staff conversations, often surpassing federal exposure limits. This review investigates OR noise sources, including staff activities and equipment, analyzing their effects on cognitive load, communication, and error rates among healthcare workers. It identifies high-risk scenarios and vulnerable groups, highlighting the necessity for targeted interventions. Key strategies include implementing strict noise control policies, using noise-reducing materials in OR design, and educating staff on noise impacts. Additionally, structured communication protocols and continuous monitoring systems are advocated to enhance operational efficiency and safety. Surgeon leadership is pivotal in balancing assertiveness and empathy to maintain a productive team dynamic. Furthermore, surgeons significantly boost OR efficiency and safety by adopting these protocols, promoting inclusive team dynamics, and applying noise-reduction strategies. These practices safeguard patient care and foster a more collaborative work atmosphere, aligning all team efforts toward optimal patient outcomes. This holistic approach emphasizes the need for continuous improvement and adaptability in surgical practices to meet modern healthcare demands, particularly in trauma surgery's fast-paced, unpredictable realm. Collectively, these measures can enhance patient safety and improve conditions for surgical teams, providing a framework for quieter, more focused OR environments that ultimately elevate surgical outcomes and healthcare quality.

Human Factors: Do They Impact Surgical Performance?

Human factors in surgery relate to the environmental, organisational, and human factors that can impact performance in the operating theatre. This study assesses whether various factors such as music, counting backwards, and attempting to do simultaneous tasks impact surgical time and performance. Ten orthopaedic surgical staff were asked to guide a metal loop around a metal maze in a 'don't buzz the wire' game. The primary outcomes were the course completion time and the number of times the loop touched the wire. They were asked to do the course four times: one control run, with music, whilst counting backwards from a hundred in increments of three, and whilst simultaneously verbalising the steps of a dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation. The average time to complete the course for the control was 33.8 seconds. This was similar to when music was played (33.4 seconds) but increased when counting backwards (38.7 seconds) and verbalising the steps of a DHS (69.8 seconds, p = 0.0039). The average number of touches for the control was 4.3. Similar findings were obtained when counting backwards (four touches), but the number of touches decreased when music was played (2.2 touches). The average number of touches increased to 10.6 when verbalising the steps of a DHS (p = 0.0078). Human factors can affect surgical performance, and an awareness of this is vital to take necessary steps to minimise the impact this has on behaviour and performance in the operating theatre.

Electronic Surgical Consent Delivery Via Patient Portal to Improve Perioperative Efficiency

Many health systems use electronic consent (eConsent) for surgery, but few have used surgical consent functionality in the patient portal (PP). Incorporating the PP into the consent process could potentially improve efficiency by letting patients independently review and sign their eConsent before the day of surgery. To evaluate the association of eConsent delivery via the PP with operational efficiency and patient engagement. This mixed-methods study consisted of a retrospective quantitative analysis (February 8 to August 8, 2023) and a qualitative analysis of semistructured patient interviews (December 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024) of adult surgical patients in a health system that implemented surgical eConsent. Statistical analysis was performed between September 1, 2023, and June 6, 2024. Patient demographics, efficiency metrics (first-start case delays), and PP access logs were analyzed from electronic health records. Qualitative outcomes included thematic analysis from semistructured patient interviews. In the PP-eligible cohort of 7672 unique patients, 8478 surgical eConsents were generated (median [IQR] age, 58 [43-70] years; 4611 [54.4%] women), of which 5318 (62.7%) were signed on hospital iPads and 3160 (37.3%) through the PP. For all adult patients who signed an eConsent using the PP, patients waited a median (IQR) of 105 (17-528) minutes to view their eConsent after it was electronically pushed to their PP. eConsents signed on the same day of surgery were associated with more first-start delays (odds ratio, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.37-1.83; P < .001). Themes that emerged from patient interviews included having a favorable experience with the PP, openness to eConsent, skimming the consent form, and the importance of the discussion with the surgeon. These findings suggest that eConsent incorporating PP functionality may reduce surgical delays and staff burden by allowing patients to review and sign before the day of surgery. Most patients spent minimal time engaging with their consent form, emphasizing the importance of surgeon-patient trust and an informed consent discussion. Additional studies are needed to understand patient perceptions of eConsent, PP, and barriers to increased uptake.

SP6.10 - The Inevitable Way Ahead: “Small Bites” Closure For Extraction Sites In Colorectal Resections

Abstract Background “Small bites" technique is widely recognised for its benefits in reducing incisional hernias after laparotomy. In 2018, our institution introduced a standardised closure technique using 2-0 PDS sutures in a small bites fashion for laparotomies in colorectal surgery, in contrast to the previously favoured 'loop' PDS mass closure. Training on this technique was provided to surgical staff, although its adoption was not mandatory. This study aimed to review our local rate of incisional hernia at extraction sites following small bites vs mass closure. Method Our retrospective study included all adult patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic colorectal resections involving an extraction site between 2018 and 2022. The closure technique used and incidence of hernia was evaluated; all patients had a minimum of 2 years clinical or radiological follow up. Results Of the 403 resections over 5 years, 249 met the inclusion criteria (47% female; median age 69 years, range 31-89). Robotic procedures accounted for 21.7% (n=54), and 54.6% (n=136) were for T3 cancers, with 69.1% (n=172) classified as N0. Most cases, 77.5% (n=193), featured midline extraction sites, while 22.5% were off-midline (i.e. transverse). Mass closure was employed in 54.6% of cases (n=136), with 19.9% (n=27) developing confirmed extraction site hernias. Small bites closure was utilised in 45.4% of cases (n=113), with 5.3% (n=6) experiencing confirmed extraction site hernias (p&amp;lt;0.05). Conclusion Our data, the first of its kind, highlights a potential significant difference in extraction site hernia rates between mass closure (19.9%) and small bites closure (5.3% (p&amp;lt;0.05)). Moving forward, if done correctly, small bites closure should be considered the gold standard for extraction sites.

Scoping review for the SAGES EAES joint collaborative on sustainability in surgical practice.

Surgical care in the operating room (OR) contributes one-third of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in healthcare. The European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) initiated a joint Task Force to promote sustainability within minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery. A scoping review was conducted by searching MEDLINE via Ovid, Embase via Elsevier, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus on August 25th, 2023 to identify articles reporting on the impact of gastrointestinal surgical care on the environment. The objectives were to establish the terminology, outcome measures, and scope associated with sustainable surgical practice. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics. We screened 22,439 articles to identify 85 articles relevant to anesthesia, general surgical practice, and gastrointestinal surgery. There were 58/85 (68.2%) cohort studies and 12/85 (14.1%) Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies. The most commonly measured outcomes were kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents (kg CO2eq), cost of resource consumption in US dollars or euros, surgical waste in kg, water consumption in liters, and energy consumption in kilowatt-hours. Surgical waste production and the use of anesthetic gases were among the largest contributors to the climate impact of surgical practice. Educational initiatives to educate surgical staff on the climate impact of surgery, recycling programs, and strategies to restrict the use of noxious anesthetic gases had the highest impact in reducing the carbon footprint of surgical care. Establishing green teams with multidisciplinary champions is an effective strategy to initiate a sustainability program in gastrointestinal surgery. This review establishes standard terminology and outcome measures used to define the environmental footprint of surgical practices. Impactful initiatives to achieve sustainability in surgical practice will require education and multidisciplinary collaborations among key stakeholders including surgeons, researchers, operating room staff, hospital managers, industry partners, and policymakers.

Intraoperative teamwork and occupational stress during robot-assisted surgery: An observational study

Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) differs from traditional OR set-ups in several ways such as operation of technology and obstructed team communication that potentially affect surgical staff's stress experiences. The current study investigates the effects of key intraoperative job demands and resources on mental workload and perceived stress in RAS. We focused on the role of intraoperative teamwork as a resource that potentially reduces occupational stress. Combining standardized expert observations in the OR with healthcare providers' self-reports, the study involved two types of robot-assisted, urological interventions. The sample consisted of 73 observed surgeries and included 242 post-operative surveys on perceived stress and mental workload from surgeons and surgical nurses. Multilevel regression analyses reveal differential effects for stress and workload. Importantly, whereas better surgical teamwork was associated with lower stress, it was unrelated to workload. Our findings provide a nuanced picture of occupational stress in RAS, particularly regarding the role of intraoperative teamwork.

Mental toughness and psychological performance skills in the operating room: Staff perceptions and implications for function and training.

The importance of psychological performance skills (mental toughness) is recognised in many mission-critical professions. Similar importance has been suggested for nursing. Survey data demonstrate that surgical staff believe that such skills exert significant influence on surgical excellence, surgical errors and on managing surgical emergencies. However, few surgical staff receive such training. It is suggested that models exist to easily meet this training need and opportunity.

Head and neck free flap reconstruction under the COVID-19 pandemic.

High perioperative mortality and complication rates during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been reported. In head and neck reconstruction, not only is patient safety important, but the prevention of infection introduced by the surgical team is also important because the procedure is performed in close proximity to the upper respiratory tract. In addition, recent studies have reported an increased risk for thrombus formation after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or COVID-19 vaccination, which is problematic for microsurgical reconstruction procedures. At the authors' institution, patients undergoing head and neck reconstruction are requested to stay home for 2 weeks and undergo screening tests for COVID-19 before admission. Surgeons use standard personal protective equipment during surgery. There was no significant difference in the rate of total flap necrosis between the COVID-19 and non-pandemic periods or large difference of perioperative complication rates between vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients. No surgery-related infections among the surgical staff were also found.

Augmented reality and optical navigation assisted orbital surgery: a novel integrated workflow

Abstract Objectives Due to the close topographical relationship of functional relevant anatomic structures, limited space and cosmetic aspects orbital surgery will remain a challenging discipline. Therefore, novel technical capabilities are necessary for further surgical progress. We here tested the integration of augmented reality and optical navigation in one workflow for interdisciplinary decision-making, feasibility and intraoperative guidance. Methods High-resolution contrast-enhanced MRI and CT scans were automated and manual-assisted segmented to achieve a detailed three-dimensional (3D) model of the individual patho-anatomical relationships. Augmented reality was used for interdisciplinary preoperative planning and intraoperative intuitive navigation. Mayfield clamp head holder in combination with optical surface matching registration assured navigation assisted microsurgery. Results Combinations of different MRI-sequences and CT-scans were necessary for detailed 3D-modeling. Modeling was time consuming and only viable in the hands of medical, surgical and anatomical trained staff. Augmented reality assured a quick, intuitive interdisciplinary orientation. Intraoperative surface matching registration enabled precise navigation in the orbital space. Conclusions Optical Navigation and microscope integration achieved a straightforward microsurgical workflow and should be implemented regularly. Augmented reality represented a useful tool for preoperative interdisciplinary planning and intraoperative intuitive orientation. It further stated an excellent educational tool.

Artificial intelligence model for automated surgical instrument detection and counting: an experimental proof-of-concept study

BackgroundRetained surgical items (RSI) are preventable events that pose a significant risk to patient safety. Current strategies for preventing RSIs rely heavily on manual instrument counting methods, which are prone to human error. This study evaluates the feasibility and performance of a deep learning-based computer vision model for automated surgical tool detection and counting.MethodsA novel dataset of 1,004 images containing 13,213 surgical tools across 11 categories was developed. The dataset was split into training, validation, and test sets at a 60:20:20 ratio. An artificial intelligence (AI) model was trained on the dataset, and the model’s performance was evaluated using standard object detection metrics, including precision and recall. To simulate a real-world surgical setting, model performance was also evaluated in a dynamic surgical video of instruments being moved in real-time.ResultsThe model demonstrated high precision (98.5%) and recall (99.9%) in distinguishing surgical tools from the background. It also exhibited excellent performance in differentiating between various surgical tools, with precision ranging from 94.0 to 100% and recall ranging from 97.1 to 100% across 11 tool categories. The model maintained strong performance on a subset of test images containing overlapping tools (precision range: 89.6–100%, and recall range 97.2–98.2%). In a real-time surgical video analysis, the model maintained a correct surgical tool count in all non-transition frames, with a median inference speed of 40.4 frames per second (interquartile range: 4.9).ConclusionThis study demonstrates that using a deep learning-based computer vision model for automated surgical tool detection and counting is feasible. The model’s high precision and real-time inference capabilities highlight its potential to serve as an AI safeguard to potentially improve patient safety and reduce manual burden on surgical staff. Further validation in clinical settings is warranted.

Monitoring of surgical staff x-ray exposure in the operating room with DosiBadge

Surgical procedures involving the use of x-rays in the operating room (OR) have increased in recent years, thereby increasing the exposure of OR staff to ionizing radiation. An individual dosimeter makes it possible to record the radiation exposure to which these personnel are exposed, but there is a lack of compliance in the wearing of these dosimeters for several practical reasons. This makes the dose results obtained unreliable. To try to improve the rate of dosimeter wearing in the OR, the Dosibadge project studied the association of the individual dosimeter with the hospital access badge, forming the Dosibadge. Through a study performed at the Tours University Hospital in eight different ORs for two consecutive periods of 3 months. The results show a significant increase in the systematic use of the dosimeter thanks to the Dosibadge, which improves the reliability of the doses obtained on the dosimeters and the monitoring of personnel. The increase is especially marked with clinicians. Following these results and the very positive feedback to this first single-centre study, we are then planning a second multicentre study to validate our proof of concept on different sites, with the three brands of individual dosimeters used in France i.e. dosimeters supplied by Dosilab; Landauer and IRSN.