Ionizing Radiation Exposure at Interventional Cardiology Practices in Bangladesh

Abstract

With the use of traditional thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs), this study was carried out to determine the effective dose and its trend in order to ensure radiation safety at interventional cardiology practices in Bangladeshi hospitals. Between 2015 and 2019, 1015 radiation workers in Bangladesh who were under observation for their personal dose equivalent were reported. There were 417 physicians among them, while the remaining personnel included radiological technologists, physicists, and other medical staff members. To measure the exposure dose, a conventional TLD-100 (LiF:Mg, Ti) was used. A Harshaw TLD reader (Model 4500) was used to read the TLDs on a quarterly basis. All of the monitored workers, who made up around 19.11% of the total, had ionizing radiation exposure below the limit established by international organizations. The Mann–Kendall trend test and Sen’s slope estimator were also applied to the annual collective effective doses, and it showed a decreasing trend over the time frame. The current state of occupational exposure and its trends show that most workplaces have effective radiation protective measures in place.