title: Personal dosimetry for interventional operators: when and how should monitoring be done?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of the potential doses to the hands and eyes for interventional radiologists and cardiologists can be difficult. A review of studies of doses to interventional operators reported in the literature has been undertaken.
  
  
  METHODS
  Distributions for staff dose to relevant parts of the body per unit dose-area product and for doses per procedure in cardiology have been analysed and mean, median and quartile values derived. The possibility of using these data to provide guidance for estimation of likely dose levels is considered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dose indicator values that could be used to predict orders of magnitude of doses to the eye, thyroid and hands from interventional operator workloads have been derived, based on the third quartile values, from the distributions of dose results analysed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dose estimates made in this way could be employed in risk assessments when reviewing protection and monitoring requirements. Data on the protection provided by different shielding and technique factors have also been reviewed to provide information for risk assessments. Recommendations on the positions in which dosemeters are worn should also be included in risk assessments, as dose measurements from suboptimal dosemeter use can be misleading.
authors.affiliation: Health Physics, Gartnavel Royal Hospital, Glasgow, UK. colin.martin@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D001822:Body Burden; D005123:Eye / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000592:standards*; D015641:Radiography, Interventional / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry / Q000379:methods; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013997:Time Factors