OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE FROM F-18-FDG PET/CT: IMPLEMENTATION TO ROUTINE CLINICAL PRACTICE.

The purpose of this study was to assess the occupational radiation exposure arising from positron emission tomography combined with X-ray computed tomography (PET/CT) procedures. From 2009 through the end of 2014, in a team of six technologists, personal dosimetry was performed using electronic personal dosemeters and film badge dosemeters. The technologists registered the separate exposure after each PET/CT operational step, which included radiopharmaceutical arrival, dispensing in individual syringes, injection and patient positioning.From the total of 3024 PET/CT procedures, 2142 were available for analysis. The personal dose equivalent for the technologists performing PET/CT ranged from 11.5 nSv/MBq to 23.8 nSv/MBq. Whole-body radiation dose originated mainly from radiopharmaceutical injection (41.5%) and patient positioning (51.1%). The sources of occupational exposure were successfully identified for PET/CT procedures. Record keeping using on-site occupational dosimetry is a useful tool for exposure optimisation.