Abstract
The radiation that has to be used in diagnostic nuclear medicine is, unfortunately, of sufficiently high energy to be ionising. Thus, although there is a benefit to the patient, there is also a risk to both the patient and the community as a whole. Recommendations on controlling this risk are made by a number of organisations, based on an evaluation of the detriment to the individual caused by the absorbed radiation dose. Of prime importance, in this, is the estimation of the radiation dose and hence the likely biological consequences, resulting from the interaction of the radiation with matter. It has been stated that: a key factor in sustaining the growth in nuclear medicine while retaining the confidence of the referring clinician, the patient and the public, is for practitioners to maintain an up to date knowledge of the radiation risks associated with the procedures, an understanding of the methodology used to assess these risks and an appreciation of the associated limitations (Mountford 1997).
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Abbreviations
- BEIR:
-
United States National Academy of Sciences Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation committee
- BSS:
-
basic safety standards
- DNA:
-
deoxyribose nucleic acid
- HVT:
-
half-value thickness
- IACRS:
-
Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety
- IAEA:
-
International Atomic Energy Agency
- ICRP:
-
International Commission on Radiological Protection
- ICRU:
-
International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements
- LET:
-
linear energy transfer
- MIRD:
-
Medical Internal Radiation Dose committee
- RBE:
-
relative biological effectivenesses
- SI:
-
specific ionisation
- TVT:
-
tenth-value thickness
- WHO:
-
World Health Organization
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Hamilton, D. (2004). Biological Effects of Radiation. In: Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-06588-4_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-06588-4_4
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