A scoping review measuring occupational exposure for personnel conducting whole-body scans in small animal veterinary practice and human medical practice using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Positron emission tomography is a growing imaging modality in the field of veterinary and human medicine. This paper mapped the extent of literature that examines occupational exposure to ionizing radiation of those practicing in human or veterinary medicine using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose in PET scans. METHODS: This scoping review was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines with a librarian-assisted systematic search across 5 databases, including CAB Abstracts, MEDLINE, Scopus, BIOSIS, and CINAHL. Articles were screened by 2 reviewers at all stages. Relevant data were extracted from included studies to characterize the data on this topic. RESULTS: A total of 643 studies were screened at the title and abstract level, of which 32 were included for analysis. There were 5 veterinary studies and 27 human studies. Most studies (75%) used electronic personal dosimeters to record the personal dose equivalent. Nuclear medicine technologist was the most common position for which the radiation dose was reported. There was a large range in the radiopharmaceutical dose (in megabecquerels) injected. The range of occupational doses in human medicine was lower on average than in veterinary medicine. However, these levels are well within the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission annual limits of 0.05 Sv. CONCLUSIONS: The range of doses received during a PET procedure varied by job task. Additionally, given the unique aspects of veterinary medicine compared to human medicine, veterinary technicians may receive higher doses than their human medicine counterparts. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This review served to identify the roles of PET scan participants and how their exposure is measured.