Abstract

This study assessed the scattered radiation exposure level in a few selected locations, in the Radiology Department of the Ondo State University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. The radiation leakages from the x-ray device and interaction of the patient’s body with the beam of radiation formed the radiation exposure level which has tendency to produce stochastic and deterministic effect on patients under the clinical procedures. The x-ray operating potential (KVp) and current time product (mAs) parameters utilized at the X-ray control room during the clinical diagnosis were 65 KVp, 75 KVp, 80 KVp, 90 KVp and 6.30 mAs,10 mAs, 14 mAs, 45 mAs, respectively and examinations carried out during the experimental measurement covered chest, abdominal, lumbosacral, pelvis and wrist in the three projections (anterior-posterior, posterior-anterior and lateral). The smallest average exposure rate obtained at the Dark Room Location was 0.118 µSv/h and highest average exposure value recorded at the cubicle area as shown in the graphs with the value of 0.126 µSv/h. Moreover, the result obtained in this studied indicated that the values recorded were very close to the background exposure rate of 0.10 µSv/h measured before the conventional X-ray began its operations. Therefore, there were no danger of high radiation exposure to patients, health professionals and visitors at Radiology Department of the Teaching Hospital under the study. However, effort should be made to reduce the exposure rate through the enforcement of personal protective devices for staffs who directly conducted the X-ray procedure.

Key words: Radiation, anterior, posterior, lateral, deterministic, threshold