Maxray Cocoon - Pregnancy Considerations; Medical Procedure Doses; Worker Radiation Dose Limits

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Cocoon Training Manual
Basic X-ray Safety
Pregnancy. Because the fetus is undergoing rapid cell reproduction, it is important to reduce radia-
tion exposure during pregnancy. As the X-ray operator, if you are, or become, pregnant, you should
notify your employer immediately. It is your responsibility to declare your pregnancy. For the safety
of your patients, you should question the patient regarding the possibility of them being pregnant.
If the patient is, or may be, pregnant, they should be advised by your radiation safety ocer prior to
exposure.
Worker Radiation Dose Limits
Occupational dose limits are set by regulatory agencies to limit cancer risk as well as the other poten-
tial biological eects of radiation. Annual occupational dose limits, as established in U.S. federal law
(10 CFR 20) are provided below, however some locally established dose limits may be more protec-
tive. Check with your local regulator for dose limits that apply specifically to you.
Type of Limit Occupational Dose Limit
50 mSv
Lens of the eye 150 mSv
Skin 500 mSv
Hands and feet 500 mSv
Embryo/fetus 5 mSv (over the length of pregnancy)
**from 10CFR20.1202 and 10CFR2 0.1208
Medical Procedure Doses
Dental imaging procedures contribute to a
much lower patient dose than other imaging
studies. The table to the right presents typ-
ical patient doses associated with various
medical imaging procedures.
Procedure Dose (mSv)
X-ray (single exposure)
Hand/Foot
0.005
Dental
0.015
Chest
0.10
Abdomen
0.60
Pelvis
0.70
Mammogram (2 views)
0.72
CT(multiple exposures)
Head
2
Chest
7
Full Body
10
**Data source: NRC