Personnel Radiation Protection

This chapter aims to examine proper operator protection during image intensification procedures. When the operator is wearing protective clothing, substantial exposure reduction from scattered radiation can be achieved. The ratio of scattered to incident exposure of x-rays should be remembered by operators and any other personnel who are required to stand near the patient during image intensification procedures. The chief danger to the operator during image intensification procedures is possible exposure to the scattered radiation coming primarily from the patient and, to a lesser degree, other scattering material such as the collimator, x-ray table top, bucky tray, or x-radiation coming from the x-ray tube housing. Since lead aprons are generally a barrier to scattered and leakage radiation and not the primary beam, these aprons are quite effective at attenuation. Even the lowest radiation exposure is assumed to result in some effect, though the effect may be too slight to measure.