Exposure of veterinary personnel to ionising radiation during bone scanning of horses by nuclear scintigraphy with 99mtechnetium methylene diphosphonate.

The research paper inspects the amount of radiation exposure to veterinary staff during the bone scanning of horses using nuclear scintigraphy with 99mtechnetium methylene diphosphonate. It finds that personnel holding the horse during the operation receive about twice the dose compared to those operating the scanning equipment.

Research Objective

• The objective of this research was to measure and compare the radiation doses received by different veterinary personnel involved in the procedure of bone scanning of horses with nuclear scintigraphy using 99mtechnetium methylene diphosphonate. In particular, the research looked at the experienced radiation doses by the personnel drawing up and injecting the radiopharmaceutical, operating the nuclear scintigraphy equipment, and those restraining the horses during scanning.

Methodology

• Sensitive electronic dosimeters were used to measure the levels of gamma radiation received by the veterinary personnel during two stages of the procedure: during administration of the radiopharmaceutical and during the image acquisition period.
• These dosimeters were worn by the personnel at all times, and readings were taken at regular intervals.

Findings

• The study found that about 90% of the total radiation dose was received during the image acquisition period, which is when the actual scanning process takes place.
• No significant difference was found in the radiation dose received by the person drawing up and injecting the radiopharmaceutical and the person restraining the horse during its administration. This suggests that the process of handling and injecting the radiopharmaceutical does not expose the personnel to significantly more ionising radiation.
• However, the personnel restraining the horse during the image acquisition period received approximately double the radiation dose than the equipment operator. This finding underscores the increased risk faced by personnel who need to be in close proximity to the horse during the scanning operation.