Vetnuus | December 2024 13 A survey of the radiation safety practices of veterinary practitioners during portable equine radiography in Ireland (a summary) Shauna Daly1,*, Cliona Skelly2, Mandy Lewis3, Rachel Toomey1 1Diagnostic Imaging, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield Dublin 4, D04 C7X2, Ireland 2Diagnostic Imaging and Anaesthesia, School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield Dublin 4, D04 W6F6, Ireland 3Department of Medical Physics, St James’s Hospital, Dublin, D08 NHY1, Ireland *Corresponding author. Diagnostic Imaging, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield Dublin 4, Ireland. E-mail: shauna.daly@ucd.ie Introduction Portable radiography is a vital diagnostic tool in equine veterinary practice. It is mainly used to image the distal limbs of a horse, such as the hocks, fetlocks, stifles, feet, and knees. However, it poses a unique set of radiation safety challenges, mainly due to the necessity ofrequiring the cooperation of multiple people to carry out each examination. A minimum of two individuals are usually required to perform a portable X-ray— one to operate the X-ray tube and another to position the image receptor. It is also necessary to restrain the horse for both image quality and safety purposes. This is often done manually by a third person holding the horse on a lead rope attached to its headcollar. This individual is referred to as the ‘restrainer’ in this study. During portable equine radiography, the individuals involved in the examination must typically be in close proximity to the horse receiving the X-ray. Therefore, the implementation of appropriate radiation protection practices is of great importance in reducing the scatter radiation received by personnel involved in portable X-ray examinations on horses. Exposure to ionizing radiation—even at minimal doses—carries the potential to cause stochastic effects to occur [1]. Over their careers, veterinary staff involved in performing X-rays will be repeatedly exposed to low doses of radiation.A study of nuclear industry workers across three countries linked exposure to cumulative low doses of radiation to an increase in their rate of cancer occurrence [2]. As veterinary staff routinely involved in performing portable equine X-rays also face repeated low-dose exposures in their occupation, ensuring robust radiation safety practices are adhered to is of significant importance to reduce the health risks posed by this. A study on the radiation exposure of personnel involved in obtaining portable X-rays of a horse’s limbs [3] found that doses to the hands were decreased by a mean of 99.58% with the use of lead gloves and 98.9% with the use of lead-free gloves, demonstrating the efficacy of radiation protective equipment. Previous international studies, such as a survey carried out in Australia, found sub-optimal compliance with radiation safety guidelines among veterinary practitioners [4]. Surveys performed in North America [5] and Brazil [6] found similar results. Both of these studies emphasize the need for improved adherence to established radiation safety guidelines and radiation protection.There is currently a gap in the research surrounding the practices of equine veterinary practitioners on the topic of radiation safety in Ireland, specifically during portable examinations. This study aimed to address this deficit by identifying the methods equine veterinary practitioners in Ireland use to protect themselves and other personnel involved in portable X-ray examinations on horses from unnecessary exposure to radiation. Results The main objective of this study was to identify and document the key methods of radiation protection used by equine veterinary practitioners performing portable X-rays in Ireland. allowed participants to choose more than one response, the total percentages may add up to more than 100% in some cases. The survey was emailed to 117 practice contact addresses; 12 emails were unable to be delivered. A total of 105 veterinary clinics therefore received the email invitation to complete the survey. Thirty-four responses were received; however, one did not selecta response for any question before submission and has been treated as a non-respondent. Of the 33 valid respondents, 7 did not complete the questionnaire in full, as they omitted answers to some questions. These participants have been included in the analysis for the questions they completed. It is not possible to determinean absolute response rate due to the fact that it cannot be determined how many practitioners responded from each clinic, which received the survey. The 91% (n = 30) of respondents held a Bachelorof Veterinary Medicine, Bachelor of Veterinary Science, or Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery degree. 21% (n = 7) had undertaken a postgraduate qualification after their initial qualification, such asa master’s degree, Certificate of Advanced Veterinary Practice, or a Graduate Certificate of Equine Sports Medicine. Participants reported a range of experiences since initial qualification (Fig. 1). The most common response was 25–30 y since graduation (n = 8, 24%). Of the 33 respondents, 12% (n = 4) reported that they had undertaken additional training in radiation safety after their initial veterinary qualification. Participants provided a short description of the training they had undertaken, which included participating in a corporate veterinary radiation safety seminar, training with their radiation protection advisor, undertaking a radiation safety course, and updating themselves with online training. The 79% (n = 26) of participants indicated that equine work made up between 90% and 100% of their clinic’s practice profile. 6% (n = 2) indicated that equine work made up <20% of the clinic profile, despite their practice listing a greater equine profile on the VCI register. A total of 32 participants reported approximately how many portable X-rays they perform per week (Fig. 2). The most frequent response was between one and five X-rays at 41% (n = 13). Figure 2 Figure 1
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