Occupational exposure in the work process of radiology technologists with 68Ga-labeled radiopharmaceuticals

Abstract

The study identified occupational exposure in the work of radiology technologists with ⁶⁸Ga radiopharmaceuticals, in a Nuclear Medicine service in southern Brazil, by means of observation and document analysis. The occupational exposure related the factors, distance, time and shielding. Thus, it was observed high times during handling of the material, small distances between sources and radiosensitive structures, such as the eye lens and the thyroid gland. It is recommended to reassess and standardize the work, once that critical moments should not be restricted only to dosimetric reading.

Keywords: Nuclear medicine; Occupational exposure; Radiological protection; Radiopharmaceuticals; Work process.