An Introduction To Radiation Protection In Medicine

Combining facets of health physics with medicine, An Introduction to Radiation Protection in Medicine covers the background of the subject and the medical situations where radiation is the tool to diagnose or treat human disease. Encouraging newcomers to the field to properly and efficiently function in a versatile and evolving work setting, it familiarizes them with the particular problems faced during the application of ionizing radiation in medicine. The text builds a fundamental knowledge base before providing practical descriptions of radiation safety in medicine. It covers basic issues related to radiation protection, including the physical science behind radiation protection and the radiobiological basis of radiation protection. The text also presents operational and managerial tools for organizing radiation safety in a medical workplace. Subsequent chapters form the core of the book, focusing on the practice of radiation protection in different medical disciplines. They explore a range of individual uses of ionizing radiation in various branches of medicine, including radiology, nuclear medicine, external beam radiotherapy, and brachytherapy. With contributions from experienced practicing physicists, this book provides essential information about dealing with radiation safety in the rapidly shifting and diverse environment of medicine.

An Introduction to Radiation Protection is a highly readable account of the nature of the hazards presented by ionizing radiation and the methods of protection for those new to the field and for the non-specialist. The sixth edition of this established text takes readers through the general background of the subject, the technical principles underlying the control of radiation hazards, radiation detection and measurement, and the biological effects of radiation. These principles are followed by a consideration of radiation protection issues in the nuclear industry, the non-nuclear sector, and the medical field. Further specialised topics include risk assessment, waste management and decommissioning, radiological incidents and emergencies, relevant legislation, and organizational issues. Supplemented by clear diagrams and photographs, summary sections, and revision questions, the book is suitable for the beginner as well as the more advanced radiation practitioner. It remains an ideal primer for those working in the nuclear industry, nuclear medicine technicians, radiographers and medical physics technicians, health and safety executives and occupational health professionals. It is also an invaluable companion for anyone training or undertaking a course in radiation protection.

This account of sources of ionizing radiation and methods of radiation protection describes units of radiation protection, measurement techniques, biological effects, environmental radiation and many applications. Each chapter contains problems with solutions.

A practical guide for medical physicists and those whose work involves any aspect of hospital radiation protection. It provides guidance on methods that may be used to tackle the tasks that a physicist working in this area might encounter.

This book explains clearly and in detail all aspects of radiation protection in nuclear medicine, including measurement quantities and units, detectors and dosimeters, and radiation biology. Discussion of radiation doses to patients and to embryos, fetuses, and children forms a central part of the book. Phantom models, biokinetic models, calculations, and software solutions are all considered, and a further chapter is devoted to quality assurance and reference levels. Occupational exposure also receives detailed attention. Exposure resulting from the production, labeling, and injection of radiopharmaceuticals and from contact with patients is discussed and shielding calculations are explained. The book closes by considering exposure of the public and summarizing the "rules of thumb" for radiation protection in nuclear medicine. This is an ideal textbook for students and a ready source of useful information for nuclear medicine specialists and medical physics experts.

This book provides a comprehensive yet accessible overview of all relevant topics in the field of radiation protection (health physics). The text is organized to introduce the reader to basic principles of radiation emission and propagation, to review current knowledge and historical aspects of the biological effects of radiation, and to cover important operational topics such as radiation shielding and dosimetry. The author’s website contains materials for instructors including PowerPoint slides for lectures and worked-out solutions to end-of-chapter exercises. The book serves as an essential handbook for practicing health physics professionals.