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THE ROLE OF PROTECTIVE LEAD CLOTHING IN REDUCING RADIATION EXPOSURE RATES TO PERSONNEL DURING EQUINE BONE SCINTIGRAPHY
Author(s) -
STEYN PHILLIP F.,
UHRIG JOHN
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
veterinary radiology and ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.541
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1740-8261
pISSN - 1058-8183
DOI - 10.1111/j.1740-8261.2005.00097.x
Subject(s) - medicine , lead apron , nuclear medicine , radiation exposure , pelvis , thorax (insect anatomy) , radiation protection , dose rate , horse , lead (geology) , effective dose (radiation) , radiology , anatomy , medical physics , paleontology , biology , geomorphology , geology
Bone scintigraphy is often used in horses because of its sensitivity and noninvasive nature. A 99m Tc labeled radiopharmaceutical is injected at a dose of between 5.7 and 7.3 GBq. Images are acquired immediately postinjection and 2–4 h post. People are often in the room with the horse during the acquisition process. Objectives of this study were to (a) document the radiation exposure rates at different distances from various sites of the horse at varying times post injection and (b) study the usefulness of wearing lead aprons to reduce exposure rates to personnel. Radiation exposure rates were measured in at three distances (at skin surface and at 30 and 100 cm from the skin) from three sites (shoulder, thorax, and pelvis) in 19 horses. Exposure rates were measured with and without shielding by a 0.5‐mm lead equivalent apron during both the pool and delayed phases. A 0.5 mm equivalent lead apron significantly decreases radiation exposure ( P <0.05) at these three distances from the three sites during both image acquisition phases. Mean dose reduction factors from the lead apron range from 3.6 to 5.7.