M . El Fahssi et al .: Radioprotection 2024 , 59 ( 3 ), 189 – 196 195
that they use radiation protection equipment appropriate to the age of the child ( Thyroid shield , gonad shield , etc .). Fiagbedzi et al . reported that not many radiographers used the gonad shield during their examinations , with 56.3 % of them using it sometimes ( Fiagbedzi et al ., 2022 ). In addition , Directive 2013 / 59 / Euratom states that appropriate medical X-ray equipment , accessories , and practices must be used in every case of medical exposure involving children ( ESR , 2015 ).
Of our radiographers , 92.5 % stated that they received basic training in patient radiation protection , whereas only 5 % received ongoing training . In fact , radiologists should benefit from intensive training programs in radiation protection , particularly the radiation protection of patients , covering various themes such as knowledge of doses per application , the biological effects of ionizing radiation , and new technologies allowing control of the radiation dose ( Paolicchi et al ., 2016 ).
The results showed no association between gender and the practices of the participants . In this context , a study conducted in Saudi Arabia revealed no correlation between participants ’ knowledge of radiation protection and gender ( Omemh , 2022 ). Furthermore , there is no association between professional experience and the practices of our radiographers . Conversely , a significant relationship ( p = 0.025 ) was observed between the number of years of clinical experience and the failure to correctly describe the concept of dose optimisation in a study conducted in Saudi Arabia ( Omemh , 2022 ). However , the current study ’ s population is younger and has less work experience , which may make direct comparisons less relevant . In addition , the uneven distribution of sample sizes could potentially impact the accuracy of the analysis . Specifically , it is important to note that the smaller sample size , in the group with 10-15 years of professional experience may restrict the ability to identify differences , with statistical power .
In the other hand , the results showed an association between the worksite and the question of indicating the number of radiographic examinations repeated ( p = 0.001 ), the transcription of dosimetric data necessary for estimating the dose received by the patient in conventional radiology ( p = 0.002 ), the availability of protocols for each CT procedure ( p = 0.000 ), the adaptation of CT protocols according to the patient ’ s morphological data ( p = 0.001 ), And whether or not they have received ongoing training in radiation protection for patients ( p = 0.001 ). This result is also confirmed by a study conducted in Cyprus , which showed that the place in which individuals practice makes a difference in their radiation protection knowledge and therefore may serve as a guide for understanding the methods that help ensure consistent radiation training throughout all types of workplaces ( Zervides et al ., 2020 ). This results also show that practices relating to the radiation protection of patients differ from one site to another , indicating the lack of a regional strategy aimed at standardizing procedures and radiation protection practices at the level of all radiology departments of the region .
5 Conclusion
One of the shortcomings that health managers in this region must address is the recording of exposure parameters after each imaging procedure and the transcription of these parameters in the reports given to patients for conventional imaging and CT scans . In addition , radiology departments must also be provided with protective equipment and restraints for paediatric imaging .
It is also essential to make radiographers aware of the value of using diagnostic reference levels as an important tool for optimising medical imaging doses . Finally , radiographers in this region should be made aware of the consequences of unjustified repetition of radiological examinations .
Funding This research did not receive any specific funding .
Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest .
Author contribution statement
M . El Fahssi , S . Semghouli , M . Caoui : Conceptualization , Methodology , M . El Fahssi , S . Semghouli , B . Amaoui : Writing original draft . M . El Fahssi , J . Elkhalladi , S . Semghouli , M . Caoui : Visualization , Investigation . S . Semghouli , M . Caoui , L . Jroundi : Supervision . M . El Fahssi , S . Semghouli , M . Caoui , L . Jroundi , B . Amaoui : Reviewing and Editing .
Data availability statement
This article does not contain any studies involving human subjects .
Ethics approval
This study received ethical approval from ethics committee for biomedical research , Mohammed V University of Rabat , under the protocol number 28 / 22 .
Informed consent
This article does not contain any studies involving human subjects .
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