ABSTRACT

Through an evaluation of the biological dose, we aimed to evaluate the risks of ionizing radiation to which physicians and auxiliary healthcare personnel working in orthopedic operating rooms are exposed to via diagnostic use of fluoroscopy.

Blood samples were collected from physicians and auxiliary healthcare personnel working in the orthopedic operating room. The biological dose was evaluated using micronucleus and dicentric analysis. To assess the effects of physical and chemical agents together, a total of 31,000 binucleate cells were evaluated using the micronucleus method and 16,500 metaphase plaques were evaluated using dicentric analysis, which is accepted as the most important indicator in determining the effects of radiation.

The study participants comprised 18 males and 5 females (16 physicians, 4 nurses, and 3 patient carers) with a mean age of 34.1 years (range, 22–58 years) who were thought to have been exposed to ionizing radiation in the working environment. The mean duration of working under ionizing radiation was 73.6 months (range, 1.5–420 months). In the blood samples, the total micronucleus frequency was determined as 8.8±1.4. In the evaluation of the 16,500 metaphysis plaques, radiation-specific dicentric was observed in 5 subjects (normal frequency: 5/10,000). As a result of the analysis made use both methods, the dose was determined to be slightly above background level, and below risk level in 6 subjects. The dose was related with medical applications in 4 of these subjects.

Fluoroscopy should be attempted in the operating room within a restricted time as far as possible and at measurements of high kV and low mA. kV-mA values are of utmost importance for providing the best results according to the nature of the operation; the tube outlet is predefined away from the patient’s skin.

Keywords: Fluoroscopy, micronucleus, dicentric analysis