Radiation exposure to sonographers from fluorine-18-FDG PET patients

OBJECTIVE: We estimated the amount of radiation exposure to sonographers from patients who were injected with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) at 2 and 3 h postinjection. METHODS: We studied 8 patients who were given between 380-420 MBq 18F-FDG. The patients were measured with a RADOS RDS-120 dosimeter between 2 and 3 h after FDG injection. The dosimetry measurement was taken at a distance of 0.5 m from the injected patient, a distance used by a sonographer to perform an abdominal ultrasound. Measurements were taken at the levels of the sonographer's shoulder, abdomen, and gonads. RESULTS: At the first measurement at 2 h, the mean exposures to the shoulder, abdomen, and gonads of the sonographer in pSv/h were 31.9+/-11.3, 37.1+/-9.5, and 32.8+/-11.8, respectively. At 3 h, the mean exposures to the shoulder, abdomen, and gonads were 21.5+/-4.2, 20.2+/-5.8, and 19.6+/-4.9, respectively. CONCLUSION: The amount of radiation exposure to a sonographer is minimal. Radiation exposure risks should be considered, however, if the sonographer comes into daily, repeated contact with patients who have been given 18F-FDG.