Assessing radiation doses and proposing DRLs for nuclear medicine procedures for pediatric and adult patients in Madinah, Saudi Arabia

Aloufi KM 1 , Gameraddin M 2 , Alhazmi FH 3 , Almazroui IS 4 , Osman H 5 , Khandaker MU 6

Affiliations 

  • 1 Diagnostic Radiography Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 2 Diagnostic Radiography Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 3 Diagnostic Radiography Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 4 Nuclear Medicine Department, King Fahad Hospital, Ministry of Health, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 5 Department of Radiological Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: [email protected]
  • 6 Applied Physics and Radiation Technologies Group, CCDCU, School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia; Faculty of Graduate Studies, Daffodil International University, Daffodil Smart City, Birulia, Savar, Dhaka, 1216, Bangladesh; Department of Physics, College of Science, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: [email protected]
Appl Radiat Isot, 2024 Nov 06;215:111583.
PMID: 39522393 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2024.111583

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Nuclear medicine diagnostic and treatment procedures represent significant sources of ionizing radiation exposure for both staff and patients. Consequently, assessing and optimizing radiation doses are crucial to minimize potential side effects.

AIM: This study seeks to evaluate the effective radiation doses associated with common diagnostic and treatment procedures, as well as propose diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), within two nuclear medicine centers in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

METHODOLOGY: Data from 445 patients were gathered from two nuclear medicine centers in the Madinah region of Saudi Arabia. The data were categorized based on the type of nuclear medicine (NM) procedure, the chemical composition of the administered radiopharmaceutical, as well as patient age and weight. Effective radiation doses for prevalent NM procedures were computed, and suggested DRLs were formulated.

RESULTS: Effective radiation doses were analyzed for 16 adult and 2 pediatric NM procedures (divided into 8 groups). The effective radiation doses for adult diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures range from 0.05 mSv (Nanocoloid) to 29 mSv (67Ga-citrate). For pediatric procedures, the doses range from 0.80 mSv (5-year-old undergoing renal DTPA) to 1.6 mSv (1-year-old undergoing renal DMSA). Furthermore, DRL values were determined for both adult and pediatric NM procedures. The study's findings demonstrated a high degree of concordance between effective radiation doses and DRL values, aligning well with previously published research.

CONCLUSION: While the effective radiation doses outlined in this study were generally within acceptable limits and consistent with prior research findings, optimizing radiation doses remains imperative, particularly for pediatric NM procedures.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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