Trends in occupational radiation dose of health practitioners in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

Monitoring the Effective Dose (ED) among occupationally exposed healthcare workers is crucial to keeping exposure within acceptable limits and minimizing radiation-induced health risks. This study investigates the Ionizing Radiation Exposure (IRE) among 1,117 healthcare workers from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia from 2016 to 2022. Utilizing Thermoluminescent Dosimeters (TLDs) in 26 hospitals conducting diagnostic and interventional radiology, a Harshaw 6600 TLD Reader was used to extract the ED, and the Annual Mean, Standard deviation, and Range (AMSR) were analyzed. The ED of staff was also gleaned for Dental and Cardiac Catheterization departments separately. Results show that the ED across the different departments remain below the recommended annual dose limit of 20 (mSv). The social impact of COVID-19 pandemic, such as reduced patient volume, adoption of telehealth services, and strict safety protocols, contributed to decreased ED, before the easing of lockdown restrictions in June 2021. The overall declining trend of AMSR values over the seven years indicates successful adherence to radiation protection principles notably the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle. This study advocates optimizing radiation safety measures and contributes to the continual enhancement of occupational safety protocols in the healthcare sector.