Authors’ affiliations: (a) Center for Radiological Research, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, VC 11-205/218, New York, N.Y. 10032. (b) Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 11-451, New York, N.Y. 10032. (c) Biochemistry Section, National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes...

The basic physical mechanisms by which different kinds of ionizing radiation interact with matter are described. Understanding of these processes, coupled with detailed knowledge of atomic structure, provides much of the foundation for the theory and practice of radiological health protection today.

Health physicists and knowledgeable clinicians have the responsibility to counsel women of reproductive age about the reproductive risks of ionizing radiation exposure before conception or during pregnancy. It is important to realize that lay individuals have many misconceptions about the reproductive risks of ionizing radiation. Many patients who have already had or will undergo some type of r...

The linear no-threshold (LNT) model of ionizing-radiation-induced cancer is based on the assumption that every radiation dose increment constitutes increased cancer risk for humans. The risk is hypothesized to increase linearly as the total dose increases. While this model is the basis for radiation safety regulations, its scientific validity has been questioned and debated for many decades. Th...

BACKGROUND Radiological examinations for patients who are hospitalized at intensive care units are usually performed using portable radiography devices. However they may require knowledge and safety precautions of nurses. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to investigate ICU nurses' knowledge of radiation safety and their behaviors towards portable radiological examinations. MATERIALS AND ...

Background: Humans beings are continuously exposed to ionizing radiation from natural sources. The main contributors to natural radiation are high-energy cosmic radiation and radioactive nuclides that originates in the earth’s crust. Exposure to high levels of radiation can cause serious health effects. In this study an attempt has been made to monitor the levels of environmental back...

Background Increasing the x-ray film to focus distance (FFD), has been recommended as a practical dose optimization tool for patients undergoing conventional radiological procedures. In the previous study, we demonstrated a 32% reduction in absorbed dose is achievable due to increasing the FFD from 100 to 130 cm during pediatric chest radiography. The aim of this study was to examine whether in...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate radiation protection basic knowledge and dose assessment for radiological procedures among Italian radiographers METHODS A validated questionnaire was distributed to 780 participants with balanced demographic characteristics and geographic distribution. RESULTS Only 12.1 % of participants attended radiation protection courses on a regular basis. Despite 90 % of radiog...

Optimisation of radiological protection for operators working with fluoroscopically guided procedures has to be performed during the procedure, under varying and difficult conditions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of a system for real-time visualisation of radiation dose rate on optimisation of occupational radiological protection in fluoroscopically guided procedures....