Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Radiology Technicians in Ain-Shams University Hospitals regarding Ionizing Radiation Health Hazards

Abstract

Radiation is used in different areas of everyday life, such as medicine, agriculture, geology, mining, industry, scientific applications and Nuclear power. Radiation exposure can cause severe health hazards and it can affect merely all body organs. Studies has confirmed that exposure to ionizing radiation causes cancers and WHO named radiation as a carcinogenic. Radiation exposure in hospitals occurs in many procedures, and it account for the largest number of workers occupationally exposed to radiation, which necessitate strict radiation safety measures and ensuring compliance to these radiation safety procedures. This study aimed to measure the knowledge, attitude and practice of radiology technicians regarding radiation health hazards in one of the largest university hospitals in Egypt. Sixty - one Radiology technicians working in Ain-Shams University Hospitals participated in the study as: 15 radiology technicians worked in Radiodiagnosis & Intervention Radiology Department in Ain-Shams specialized hospital and the remaining 46 worked in Radiodiagnosis & Intervention Radiology Department and in Oncology Department in El-Demerdash hospitals Data were collected using a constructed interview questionnaire. The questionnaire was in Arabic language, to measure technicians’ knowledge, attitudes and radiation safety practices. An observation check list was also used, to measure radiology technicians’ radiation safety practices and the radiation safety measures adopted by the department. Result of this study showed that only 15 (24.6) technicians evaluated their radiology knowledge as very good. 23 (37.7%) out of 61 technicians scored less than 50% in the radiation knowledge score. A knowledge defect as regard radiation safety measures was found as only 4 (6.6%) technicians correctly knew the occupational radiation exposure dose limits. As regard radiation safety courses only 4 technicians attended radiation safety courses however attending radiation safety course did not affect their radiation safety knowledge nor attitudes when compared with those who did not attend any radiation safety courses. The study results showed that the technicians had positive attitudes for radiation safety as 55 (90.2%) scored 50% or more in radiation safety attitude score.