AB118. SOH22ABS199. Radiation exposure and safe practices among surgical non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs)

Background: Occupational exposure to radiation is a concern for surgical trainees with many operations using image guidance and fluoroscopy. It is currently a legal requirement in Europe that doctors who are working with ionising radiation undergo training in radiation protection techniques. Trainees should know how to mitigate radiation exposure in the operative environment. This study aims to assess trainee knowledge about radiation safety and assess individual attitudes to exposure.

Methods: Surgical trainees working in four different surgical disciplines; orthopaedics, urology, vascular and plastic surgery were included. They were asked to complete a survey that was disseminated via RCSI email, Twitter and specific speciality WhatsApp groups. The survey consisted of a demographics section, a brief radiation knowledge questionnaire and questions relating to attitudes towards exposure to radiation.

Results: There were 50 respondents to the survey, 4 were excluded as they worked outside of the 4 specialities. Twenty-six percent of respondents have not attended a radiation safety course. Sixty-eight percent of respondents had concerns about the long-term health effects of exposure to radiation. Thirty-nine percent were concerned that radiation exposure could negatively impact their fertility. Twenty-six percent knew the average background radiation exposure of an individual in Ireland for one year. Sixty-eight percent of trainees thought they would benefit from further radiation safety training.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates both the need and desire for further radiation safety training for surgical trainees. A one-off standard course in radiation protection may be adequate education for most doctors, however, formal training in radiation safety is necessary for surgical trainees if their speciality employs fluoroscopy.

Keywords: Exposure; fluoroscopy; radiation; safety; trainee education