In plain language
In a survey of 381 operating room staff in Hunan, China, mostly nurses, only 27.8% reported routine use of protective equipment. Training, departmental personal protective equipment (PPE) management and higher knowledge were associated with better self-reported compliance.
At a glance
- Type of study
- Original research, Cross-sectional survey
- Who was studied
- Nurses, Anesthesia staff, Other surgeons
- Size
- n = 381 operating room personnel
- Where
- China
- Topics
- Personal protective equipmentTraining and educationSafety culture and complianceDosimetry and monitoring
- Summary based on
- the full text
What it found
Only a minority of operating room personnel routinely used at least one type of PPE during potential radiation exposure.
Key figures: 27.8%
Routine dose monitoring and consistent lead apron use were rare; many never wore aprons.
Key figures: 9.7% regular dose monitoring; 20.2% always lead apron; 28.9% never
Higher knowledge and being a physician were independently associated with better compliance.
Key figures: Knowledge odds ratio (OR) = 2.366, p < 0.001; physicians OR = 4.845, p = 0.001
Standardized departmental PPE management, training and tertiary hospital level were independently associated with higher knowledge scores.
Key figures: Management B = 39.246, p < 0.001; training B = 32.063, p < 0.001; hospital level B = 17.503, p = 0.035
Knowledge was moderate, and most respondents cited insufficient knowledge as the main factor in exposure.
Key figures: Mean 175.3 ± 72.7 of 330; 87.4% cited inadequate knowledge
Limits to keep in mind
Self-reported online survey using purposive sampling in one Chinese province, with respondents dominated by nurses (91.6%) and few physicians. The cross-sectional design cannot show that training causes better compliance.
Related research summaries
- Literacy in the Scope of Radiation Protection for Healthcare Professionals Exposed to Ionizing Radiation: A Systematic Review (2024, Systematic review)
- SCAI Multi-Society Position Statement on Occupational Health Hazards (2020, Guideline or consensus statement)
- Radiation safety compliance awareness among healthcare workers exposed to ionizing radiation (2024, Cross-sectional survey)
- Occupational Protection in Interventional Radiology. A Joint Guideline of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe and the Society of Interventional Radiology (2026, Guideline or consensus statement)
- Occupational Radiological Protection in Interventional Procedures, ICRP PUBLICATION 139 (2018, Guideline or consensus statement)
How this summary was made
ORSIF prepared this summary with AI assistance from the full text of the paper. A program then checked that the passage supporting each finding appears word for word in that source. A person has not yet reviewed each summary, so read the original before relying on a number. ORSIF summarizes research and does not endorse any product or company. Report a problem with this summary.
Prepared November 3, 2026.