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ASSESSMENT OF AWARENESS AND PRACTICE OF IONIZING RADIATION PROTECTION PROCEDURES AMONG EXPOSED HEALTH CARE WORKERS

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Last updated: 01 Jan 2025

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Abstract

Introduction: Occupational exposure to ionizing radiation is the result of exposure at work sites for diagnostic and therapeutic practices. Ionizing radiation is an energy type in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles. Radiographic imaging is extremely valuable as a diagnostic tool in medical fields leading to different health hazards to health care workers (HCWs) and to the surrounding environment if safety measures are not observed. Aim of work: To assess awareness and practice of ionizing radiation protection procedures among (HCWs) occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation at Zagazig University Hospitals. Materials and methods: All HCWs (technicians, nurses, physicians, and physicists) occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation in diagnostic radiology (DR) department, Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine (CO&NM) department, and Nuclear Medicine (NM) unit who accepted to share in the study were included as study population (No=195). A cross-sectional study was carried out at the previous departments in Zagazig University Hospitals. A self-administered, structured questionnaire composed of three sections, A, B and C was the study tool. Section A comprised questions regarding demographic data, section B included questions about awareness of radiation protection procedures, and section C was composed of questions about safe practices of HCWs regarding ionizing radiation exposures. Results: The study revealed that satisfactory awareness of radiation protection procedures among HCWs in the three departments was (51.3 %) with no statistically significant difference between different radiation units. But HCWs had inadequate practice score (18%) regarding the use of safety measures of radiation exposure. Satisfactory awareness of radiation protection procedures of exposed workers was highly significantly associated with higher educational level (44.2%), years of experience ≥ 10 years (36.8 %), being a physician (73.7%) and getting training courses (61.1%). Also, adequate practice of radiation protection procedures among exposed workers was found to be highly significantly associated with higher educational level (74.3%), years of experience ≥ 10 years (68.6%), being a physician (80.0%) and getting training courses (71.4%). Conclusion: satisfactory awareness about radiation protection procedures among exposed HCWs was noted while inadequate practices of radiation protection procedures in the workplace were found.

DOI

10.21608/ejom.2020.67771

Keywords

Ionizing radiation, Radiation Hazards, Radiation Protection Procedures, Awareness and Personal Protective Equipments

Authors

First Name

Salah Eldeen

Last Name

NG

MiddleName

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Affiliation

Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine

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First Name

Farouk

Last Name

SA

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Affiliation

Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt.

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Volume

44

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

10218

Issue Date

2020-01-01

Receive Date

2020-01-08

Publish Date

2020-01-01

Page Start

529

Page End

544

Print ISSN

1110-1881

Online ISSN

2357-058X

Link

https://ejom.journals.ekb.eg/article_67771.html

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https://ejom.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=67771

Order

6

Type

Original Article

Type Code

577

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine

Publication Link

https://ejom.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

ASSESSMENT OF AWARENESS AND PRACTICE OF IONIZING RADIATION PROTECTION PROCEDURES AMONG EXPOSED HEALTH CARE WORKERS

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Article

Created At

22 Jan 2023