In plain language
This 2011 International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) draft guidance reports that surgeons, urologists, gastroenterologists, anaesthetists, nurses and radiographers using fluoroscopy outside imaging departments often lack radiation protection training and dose monitoring. It recommends specialty-oriented training, dosimetry, eye protection and operating-theatre shielding screens.
At a glance
- Type of study
- Guideline or consensus statement
- Who was studied
- Vascular surgeons, Orthopedic surgeons, Urologists, Gastroenterologists, Anesthesia staff, Other physicians, Nurses, Radiologic technologists, Trainees, Patients
- Topics
- Eye lens and cataractsPregnancy and reproductive healthPersonal protective equipmentRoom shielding and protective devicesDosimetry and monitoringDose reduction techniquesTraining and educationRegulation and policySafety culture and compliancePatient dose
- Summary based on
- a web page
What it found
Physicians using fluoroscopy outside radiology departments mostly have minimal or no radiation protection training and may lack access to medical physicists; nurses and radiographers in these settings have limited skills and awareness.
Personal dosimeters are not used, or are used irregularly, by some professionals, so occupational doses in several practices outside radiology are largely unknown.
Radiation levels in endovascular aortic aneurysm repair by vascular surgeons are similar to those in interventional radiology and cardiology, and several procedures can give patient skin doses above 1 Gy.
Key figures: >1 Gy skin dose
Reports of lens opacities in staff who use fluoroscopy point to a need for stronger eye protection.
Radiation shielding screens for staff in operating theatres are recommended wherever feasible; many operating-theatre fluoroscopy machines lack screens and flaps.
Limits to keep in mind
Draft consultation guidance based on expert opinion rather than new data; only the opening chapters were available, so specialty-specific dose data and recommendations could not be reviewed.
Related research summaries
- AST Standards for Ionizing Radiation Exposure (Guideline or consensus statement)
- IU Health Handbook of Fluoroscopy Safety (Guideline or consensus statement)
- 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)
- Radiation Exposure, Training, and Safety in Cardiology (2024, Narrative review)
- Radiation Protection in Interventional Radiology (2022, Narrative review)
How this summary was made
ORSIF prepared this summary with AI assistance from a web page 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.