Analysis of the radiation accidents prevalence in nuclear medicine in the Russian Federation

Radiation events (accidents) appearance is an integral part of the use of ionizing radiation sources in medicine in general and nuclear medicine in particular. To minimize the negative impact on patients, workers, and public due to such events, it is necessary to have reliable information about real prevalence of the radiation events (accidents). The current work presents the analysis of the radiation accidents with medical ionizing radiation sources registered in the “Data bank of radiation accidents and incidents” of the Rospotrebnadzor Information and Analytical Centre for Radiation Safety and the results of workers questionnaires conducted in 25 nuclear medicine departments (about 30% of all nuclear medicine departments in the Russian Federation). The results of the analysis showed that the most common registered radiation accidents in the “Data bank of radiation accidents and incidents” are identification of passengers with high external dose rate as well as identification of waste contaminated by medical radionuclides. The results of the questionnaire showed that the most common radiation accidents (events) in nuclear medicine are contamination of work clothes or work surfaces with radionuclides, or patient fluids containing radionuclides; conducting examination without proper referral; extravasation of radiopharmaceutical. Existing systems of identification and registration of radiation accidents do not allow to identify radiation events (accidents) specific to nuclear medicine. The further research aimed at developing a classification of radiation events (accidents) in medicine and methods for responding to such events are feasible.