Use of patient radiation protection equipment in the diagnostic application of X-rays on humans

By far the largest part of the civilizational radiation exposure of the German population is caused by X-ray investigations. A reduction of the radiation exposure of the patient, especially outside the body areas to be examined, can be achieved, among other things, by the proper use of patient radiation protection equipment. However, the excessive use of less efficient protective products or the incorrect use of protective equipment can reduce the acceptance of both the medical personnel involved in the application and the patients and thus counteract optimal radiation protection.

On 16 December 2011, the Federal Ministry for the Environment asked for a recommendation on which patient radiation protection equipment should be used for the various procedures used in X-ray diagnostics. The benchmark for the sensible use should be whether it is possible to reduce radiation exposure with reasonable effort, taking into account the state of the art.

The recommendation describes and justifies the application of patient radiation protection in different examination techniques (projection radiography and computed tomography) and the possible reduction of the dose that can be achieved with it. In addition, technical basics, such as instructions for the adjustment technique, patient positioning and the correct application of the designated patient radiation protection in the respective examination situations, mediated and made reference to the statutory provisions.

For dose reduction when using X-rays in image-guided radiotherapy, the recommendation of the SSK on radiation hygiene requirements for image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) (SSK 2010) must be taken into account.