Mesure de l'exposition externe du personnel du service de médecine nucléaire de l'hôpital Ibn Sina de Rabat au cours de la manipulation des radiopharmaceutiques

The nuclear medicine department of Ibn Sina hospital was created in 1965. Its first location was in radiology department, and then it was transferred in 1977 to the old emergency unit. The conception was not originally dedicated for a nuclear medicine department. To reassure the medical staff about their exposition during radiopharmaceutical manipulation, a dosimetric study was performed in collaboration with the National center of radiation protection (CNRP). Dosimetric monitoring was conducted for 3 months with the use of passive thermoluminescent dosimeters, (Harshow, 6600 plus), covering all categories of staff. The administration of 153 Samarium has been also studied. Other cases of people concerned our study: a pregnant woman doctor, whose exposure of the unborn child must be reduced as much as possible, and a woman from a private company, working occasionally in the department. To control the conditions imposed on all activities requiring exposure to ionizing radiation, we evaluated the dose at the extremities of operators with the use of ring dosimeters (Harshow 6600 plus) and the dose on the ambient environment of staff. This experiment has shown exposure levels below legal limits, without been negligible for some workstations. Technicians equivalent doses results justify the wearing of dosimeter rings as a complementary dosimeter in nuclear medicine department. Finally, monitoring ambient dosimetry showed that the environment measurements are in keeping with national and international norms. The Medical staff was very interested by this study, which demonstrates that radiation protection standards are respected through awareness, basic training, continuing education and information. The first author is particularly involved in the practical procedures in order to respect radiation protection recommendations for restraining staff annual chest and extremities dosimetry figures within regulations values.