Radiation Safety

Increasing numbers of medical specialists are performing fluoroscopy-guided interventional procedures (FGIPs). In 2016, approximately one in every 12 inpatients in the United States underwent at least one interventional radiology (IR) procedure during their hospitalization. The use of medical ionizing radiation in the USA was reported sevenfold higher in 2006 compared to 1980, when the amount due to FGIP increased 33 times. The new international recommendations on radiation safety have led to national and international efforts to promote patient and staff radiation safety. Basic understanding of radiation safety principles in daily practice is a key to safe interventional radiology practice. This chapter will review the basic principles of radiation protection, the basis of biological effects of ionizing radiation, and new technologies aimed at dose reduction for staff and patients.