Abstract:
Wearing lead aprons and thyroid collars for long periods of time has a subjective component: to balance the effective dose reduction with the effort of carrying a heavy load. Occupational radiation exposure has decreased dramatically in the last century within the health care system. During the same period the use of lead aprons and thyroid collars has also gone up. Therefore, a question that may be raised is: how safe is safe enough? In order to promote stakeholder involvement, the aim of the present study was to investigate staff\'s experience of discomforts associated with wearing lead aprons and thyroid collars for long periods of time, and also to investigate staff\'s willingness to tolerate personal dose equivalent (expressed as radiation dose) and the corresponding increase in future cancer risk to avoid wearing these protective tools. A questionnaire was developed and given to staff working in operating or angiography rooms at Skaraborg Hospital in Sweden. The results from the 245 respondents showed that 51% experienced bothersome warmth, 36% experienced fatigue and 26% experienced ache or pain that they believed was associated with wearing lead aprons. One third of the respondents would tolerate a personal dose equivalent of 1 mSv per year to avoid wearing lead aprons, but only a fifth would tolerate the corresponding increase in future cancer risk (from 43% to 43.2%). In conclusion, discomforts associated with wearing lead aprons and thyroid collars for long periods of time are common for the staff using them. At the same time, only a minority of the staff would tolerate a small increase in future cancer risk to avoid wearing them. The present study gives an example of stakeholder involvement and points at the difficulties in making reasonable decisions about the use of these protective tools.
摘要:
长时间穿着铅围裙和甲状腺项圈具有主观成分:平衡有效剂量减少与承受沉重负荷的努力。在上世纪,卫生保健系统中的职业辐射暴露急剧下降。在同一时期,铅围裙和甲状腺项圈的使用也有所增加。因此,可能提出的一个问题是:安全程度如何才足够安全?为了促进利益相关者的参与,本研究的目的是调查员工长期佩戴铅围裙和甲状腺领所带来的不适,并调查工作人员对个人剂量当量(以辐射剂量表示)的耐受意愿以及未来癌症风险的相应增加,以避免佩戴这些防护工具。
制定了调查表,并向在瑞典Skaraborg医院手术室或血管造影室工作的工作人员提供了调查表。245名受访者的结果显示,51%的人经历了令人烦恼的温暖,36%的人经历了疲劳,26%的人经历了他们认为与穿着铅围裙有关的疼痛或疼痛。三分之一的受访者会容忍相当于每年1毫希伏的个人剂量,以避免佩戴铅围裙,但只有五分之一的人会容忍未来癌症风险的相应增加(从43%增加到43.2%)。
总之,长时间佩戴铅围裙和甲状腺项圈引起的不适对于使用它们的工作人员来说是常见的。同时,只有少数员工会容忍未来癌症风险的小幅增加,以避免佩戴它们。本研究提供了利益相关者参与的例子,并指出了在使用这些保护工具方面做出合理决策的困难。