Do dose area product meter measurements reflect radiation doses absorbed by health care workers? : original article

This study determined the correlation between radiation doses absorbed by health care workers and dose area product meter (DAP) measurements at Universitas Hospital, Bloemfontein. The DAP is an instrument which accurately measures the radiation emitted from the source. The study included the interventional radiologists, radiographers and nurses associated with radiological intervention procedures during the period 1 August 2003 - 31 August 2003. The amount of radiation produced during every procedure was measured by a dose area product meter (DAP) and routinely recorded. The absorbed doses received by health care workers were measured using a thermoluminescent dose meter (TLD). The TLDs were analysed and recorded at the end of each week. Health care workers wore TLDs on the following areas: forehead, thyroid (attached under thyroid guard), and abdomen (worn under lead jacket). A strong positive correlation (r = 0.9, p = 0.0374) was found between the radiographers' head TLD and DAP meter readings. All other correlations between TLD and DAP readings were not statistically significant. Strong positive correlations were found between the TLD readings of the radiologists' and nurses' bodies, the nurses' and radiographers' bodies and the radiologists' and the radiographers' bodies, all of which were statistically significant.