Thyroid Shields - Practioners

[mikeg@SLAC.Stanford.EDU (Michael P. Grissom)]

1.  Radiological technologists and radiologists (but especially
cardiologists using biplanar techniques) would be well advised
to use aprons with thyroid shields.  Again, radiology staff in
fluoroscopy rooms (particularly multiplanar) have a larger
worker radiation protection problem than in the plain film
room (where the radiologic technologist can normally take the
film behind an engineered shield).  In many cases, they need
to pay attention to exactly where and how they are standing
(otherwise, a dosimeter on the practitioners "back side" might
provide some interesting results!).  This has in some cases
led to wearing additional aprons due to the importance for
sensitive procedures of being very close to the patient (and
in the x-ray field(s)), which can have the detriment of reduced
practioner performance and useful time due to weight loading.  This
problem can sometimes be solved by using swing arm mounted leaded 
glass or plastic shields, which can have the detriment of reduced
degrees of freedom of movement of radiological personnel and
equipment.  I've even seen radiologists in what looked like a
junior league version of an armored space suit!  (but only in
pictures).

2.  Again, as in the case of patient protection, I'm a little
concerned about this being a "resource driven" issue rather than 
a radiation protection for workers issue.  (But reality always
seems to intrude...)
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Again, just personal opinion and not my employer's (at least
necessarily!).
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Michael P. Grissom
mikeg@slac.stanford.edu
Phone:  (415) 926-2346
Fax:    (415) 926-3030