This study aims to evaluate radiation exposure to PET Technologists from routine ¹⁸F-FDG PET scan procedures.

Materials and Methods::
Radiation exposures at various stages of PET work routine including ¹⁸F-FDG dispensing, transportation of ¹⁸F-FDG from hot-lab to injection-room, ¹⁸F-FDG injection (5.3 MBq/kg) and setting up of patients on to the PET scanner (Philips GXL PET-CT) were measured using electronic dosimeter (Polismaster-PM1621A) for fifty PET scan procedures performed by three technologists. These measurements were compared against the dose received by the PET technologists from monthly TLD dose report provided by Australasian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).

Results:
The average radiation exposure per PET study was estimated as 2.1 ± 1.8 μSv and this included ¹⁸F-FDG dispensing (0.33 ± 0.19μSv), transportation from hot-lab to injection room (0.03 ± 0.05 μSv), ¹⁸F-FDG injection (0.94 ± 0.8 μSv), and patient set-up (0.89 ± 1.3 μSv). This compare with average dose of 3.4 ± 1.3μSv received by the Technologists per PET study from the ARPANSA dose records.

Conclusion:
The average radiation exposure from handling various PET procedures per study was estimated as 2.1 ± 1.8 μSv. The major contributing factors are ¹⁸F-FDG injection and patient set-up procedures (42% and 40% of the total dose respectively).