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Medical physics is a health profession where principles of applied physics are mostly directed towards the application of ionizing radiation in medicine. The key role of the medical physics expert in safe and effective use of ionizing radiation in medicine was widely recognized in recent European reference documents like the European Union Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM (2014), and European Commission Radiation Protection No. 174, European Guidelines on Medical Physics Expert (2014). Also the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been outspoken in supporting and fostering the status of medical physics in radiation medicine through multiple initiatives as technical and cooperation projects and important documents like IAEA Human Health Series No. 25, Roles and Responsibilities, and Education and Training Requirements for Clinically Qualified Medical Physicists (2013) and the International Basic Safety Standards, General Safety Requirements Part 3 (2014). The significance of these documents and the recognition of the present insufficient fulfilment of the requirements and recommendations in many European countries have led the IAEA to organize in 2015 the Regional Meeting on Medical Physics in Europe, where major issues in medical physics in Europe were discussed. Most important outcomes of the meeting were the recommendations addressed to European member states and the survey on medical physics status in Europe conducted by the IAEA and European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics.

Many new computed tomography (CT) techniques have been introduced during the recent years, one of them being CT-assisted dynamic perfusion imaging (perfusion CT, PCT). Many concerns were raised when first cases of deterministic radiation effects were reported. This paper shows how radiochromic films can be utilised as passive dosemeters for use in PCT. Radiochromic dosemeters undergo a colour change directly and do not require chemical processing. Prior to their use, they need to be calibrated. Films are placed on top and on the right side of the patient and exposed during the procedure. Readout is performed using a densitometer. Results show that average local skin doses are 0.51±0.07 and 0.42±0.04 Gy on top and on the lateral side of the patient, respectively. Results of the patient dosimetry (local skin doses) are consistent. This is due to the fact that each patient had the same CT protocol used for imaging (120 kV, 60 mA and Cvol of 247.75 mGy). Radiochromic films designed for interventional radiology can be effectively used for local skin dose measurements in perfusion CT. Dose values obtained are below the threshold needed for deterministic effects (erythema, hair loss, etc.). These effects might happen if inappropriate CT protocol is used; one that is usually used for routine imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiologists at the Cardiac Centre of the Clinical Centre of Sarajevo University performed invasive cardiology procedures in one room equipped with a Siemens Coroskop (Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany) unit with the possibility of digital cine imaging. The number of procedures performed with this unit is 1126 per year. The number of adults performing only diagnostic procedures is 816, therapeutic procedures 62 and both diagnostic and therapeutic 228. Twenty diagnostic examinations but no therapeutic procedure are performed on children per year. The workload is increasing year by year, with an average increase of 26 % per year. The X-ray system does not have a kerma area product (KAP) meter installed; therefore an external KAP meter was mounted on the X-ray tube. Gafchromic dosimetry films (International Specialty Products, Wayne, USA) were placed under the patient to record the skin dose distribution. The peak skin dose (PSD) was calculated from the maximum optical density of the dosimetry films. Dose measurements were performed on 51 patients undergoing therapeutic procedures (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and stent placement). Two patients received doses (KAP) larger than 100 Gycm2. The PSD was higher than 1 Gy in 3 out of 16 evaluations, and one of these patients received a skin dose >2 Gy. No deterministic skin effects were recorded. The dosimetry results are similar to results reported in other countries. Invasive cardiac procedures deliver high doses to the skin that could cause deterministic effects (erythema). Physicians performing these procedures should be aware of these risks. More efforts should be put into the training of cardiologists in radiation protection. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]