Exposure of unmonitored workers to ionizing radiation due to portable X-ray machine use and area dose mapping in an emergency department in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Unmonitored healthcare workers in emergency departments, such as nurses and respiratory therapists, experience measurable but low levels of ionizing radiation exposure (approximately 0.40-0.50 mSv/year) from portable X-ray machines. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Ahmad Subahi; Anas Bokhari; Atheer Alsulami; Ajwad Alwadani; Mashael Alqurashi; Rania Al-Sharif; Mohamed Allabban; Khalid M Alshamrani

doi:10.1016/j.jtumed.2026.08.005

September 7, 2026Journal of Taibah University Medical SciencesOpen Access

Exposure of unmonitored workers to ionizing radiation due to portable X-ray machine use and area dose mapping in an emergency department in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah

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Key Points

To measure ionizing radiation exposure among unmonitored healthcare workers and map area doses during portable X-ray examinations in an emergency department.
Conducted a 3-week prospective observational study evaluating 39 unmonitored healthcare workers, including 18 nurses and 21 respiratory therapists.
Used optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters worn by personnel and placed at fixed emergency department locations to assess scatter radiation.
Subtracted background radiation to calculate net badge values and extrapolated measurements into estimated annual doses.
Estimated mean annual radiation dose was 0.50 ± 0.21 mSv/year for nursing staff and 0.40 ± 0.30 mSv/year for respiratory therapists, with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.51).
Monitored environmental locations within the emergency department demonstrated an estimated mean annual dose of 0.70 ± 0.38 mSv/year.

Implication

Prospective observational study reveals low ionizing radiation exposure in unmonitored emergency department staff, indicating the value of safety audits.

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Cite This Study

Subahi et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa27a5658559d80afc72f6f https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2026.08.005

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Exposure of unmonitored workers to ionizing radiation due to portable X-ray machine use and area dose mapping in an emergency department in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Exposure of unmonitored workers to ionizing radiation due to portable X-ray machine use and area dose mapping in an emergency department in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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