Lecture 25 - Radiation Safety Flashcards

1
Q

Ionising radiation

A
  • radiation removes electrons from atoms to form ions

- can be carcinogenic, leukemogenci, mutagenic ot teratogenic

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2
Q

Non ionising radiation

A
  • radiation energy cannot create ions but can have other effects such as thermal or photochemical
  • not carcinogenic
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3
Q

Alpha particles

A
  • nasty and dangerous

- not used except for some radioisotype therapy

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4
Q

Beta particles

A
  • same as electrons
    Nasty
  • used for therapy
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5
Q

Gamma rays

A
  • electromagnetic radiation
  • penetrating
  • not as nasty as particles
  • safe for imaging but at high intensities can also be used for therapy
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6
Q

X rays

A
  • physicall identical to gamma rays but come from electron, not nucleus
  • penetrating -> used for imaging
  • relatively safe for imaging
  • used for radiotherapy at high intensity
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7
Q

Appliation of ionising radiation

A
  • radiology - x ray
  • nucleuar medicine: radionuclides
  • radiotherapy - X ray, particles and radionuclides
  • dental
  • radio-labelling techniques: radionuclide
  • blood irradiation - gamma rays
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8
Q

Non ionising radiation appliation

A
  • MRI
  • UV therapy
  • lasers” high and low power
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9
Q

Radiation dose units

A
  • absorbed dose: gray Gy

- effective dose: Sievert SV

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10
Q

Physical effect of radiation

A
  • energy absorption, ionisation
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11
Q

Physico-chemical effect of radiation

A
  • interaction of ions with molecules, formation of free radicals
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12
Q

Chemical effect of radiation

A
  • interaction of free radicals with molecules, cells and DNA
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13
Q

Biological effect of radiaiton

A
  • cell death, change in genetic data in cell, mutations
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14
Q

3 types of radiation effect

A
  • Stochastic: probability of effect related to dose
  • DEterministic: threshold for effect: no effect below, above, certaintiy and severity increases with dose
  • hereditary (genetic)
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15
Q

Eg of stochastic effect

A
  • DNA effects, mainly repaired

- carcinogenesis, leukemogenesis

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16
Q

Eg of deterministic effect

A
  • cell death not repaired

- epilation, radiation sickness, erythema

17
Q

Time

A
  • the longer the exposure, the higher the dose
18
Q

Shielding

A
  • high density, high atomic number and thickness are required for protection
  • 0.3mm lead aprons for X ray staff
19
Q

Distance

A
  • radiation decreases with the square of distance
  • twice the distance = 1/4 radiation level
  • distance is the simplest and best protection
20
Q

Structure of radiation protection

A
  • internal body sets standards and philisophy, based on reviews and radiation effect
  • Main recomendations are for dose limits to workers and public, and risk factors
  • dose limits are reduced to 25% for medical workers in NSW
  • equivalent to 2x annual background
21
Q

Background radiation

A
  • unavoilable and equivalent to 2 CXR per week in australia
  • 2.3 mSv/yr in Sydney
  • from radon/thoron in air mainly
  • medical sources add about 15% average
22
Q

Patient dose, indicated exposure

A
  • doses for diagnostic procedures range from 20 year
  • therapeutic procedures ranfe up to thousands of background years
  • effects can be serious but rare
  • CT scans largest source of exposure (50%)
23
Q

Accident types

A
  • wrong patient, wrong examination, wrong body part
  • irradiation of uterus in unknown pregnancy
  • overdose
  • contamination
24
Q

In utero irradiation

A
  • before implantation: no risk
  • 3-8 weeks: organ malformation
  • 8-25 weeks: severe mental retardation
  • organogenesis - cancer/leukemia in childhood or adult life
25
Q

Risk for cancer/leukemia

A
  • about 3 times that for pop as a whole
  • 16%/SV
    At most
26
Q

Legal oblications

A
  • regulatory body in NSW is the EPA
  • radiologist and nuclear medicine physicians need a license
  • non-radiologists want to use fluoroscopy need a licence
  • radionuclide users ned a licence
  • all examinations must be approved by a doctor
27
Q

Other legal obligations

A
  • radiation apparatus must be registered
  • premises must be rgistered
  • certain worker groups need a radiation monitor
  • accidents must be reported
  • research using radiaiton must be evaluated and approved
28
Q

3 doctors rule

A
  • limitation
  • justification
  • optimisation