Which two specialties are noted for high occupational doses due to limited shielding in typical practice?

• A. Cardiovascular (CV) and Interventional Radiology (IR)
• B. Orthopedics and Plastics
• C. Nuclear Medicine and Dental
• D. General Radiography and CT

Answer: (A)

High occupational dose comes from procedures that generate a lot of scatter radiation while the operator must stay close to the patient. In cardiovascular and interventional radiology, procedures often involve lengthy fluoroscopy and cine imaging during catheter-based interventions. The operator frequently stands at the table, moving around to access the patient from different angles, which means they’re exposed to scatter from multiple directions. Even with shielding like ceiling-suspended screens and lead aprons, the dynamic positions and proximity limit how much protection the barriers can provide, leading to higher doses to the staff.

Other specialties tend to have shorter fluoroscopy times, more predictable positions, or different exposure scenarios that make shielding more effective or exposure less intense overall, so their occupational doses are typically lower in comparison.

Thus, cardiovascular and interventional radiology are the two specialties most noted for high occupational doses due to limited shielding in typical practice.