Determination of Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) in General Radiographyin Latin America

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through the International Action Plan on Radiation Protection of Patients and the International Commission on Radiological Protection have for some time carried out important efforts to assure that in the medical applications of the ionising radiations, the optimisation of radiological protection of patients is fundamental, to such a point that the IAEA includes it directly as a requirement for these practices (in its International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionising Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS)-GSR Part 1, 2011). For this reason, among the objectives of Regional Project RLA/9/057 and Regional Project RLA/9/067, the intention was to establish the dose references in conventional radiology for Latin America, for the purposes of determining whether these doses comply with the requirements of the BSS and to tend to improve practices, in order to minimise the dose received by the patients.Fil: Blanco, Susana Alicia Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Belgrano. Facultad de Ingenieria; ArgentinaFil: Mora, Patricia. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Atómicas, Nucleares y Moleculares; Costa RicaFil: Almonte, Narkiss. Comisión Nacional de Energía. Dirección Nuclear; República DominicanaFil: Benavente, Tony. Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear; PerúFil: Benson, Nadja. Ministerio de Salud. Dirección General de Salud; Reino UnidoFil: Blanco, Daniel. Universidad de la República. Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares; UruguayFil: Cárdenas, Juan. Centro de Protección e Higiene de las Radiaciones; CubaFil: Defaz Gómez, Yolanda. Hospital Oncológico SOLCA Nucleo de Quito; EcuadorFil: Edding, Oscar. Instituto de Salud Pública; ChileFil: Escobar, Carolina. Ministerio de Salud Pública y Acción Social. Unidad Reguladora de Radiaciones Ionizantes; El SalvadorFil: Fonseca, María. Hospital Nacional Roosevelt; GuatemalaFil: Gamarra, Mirta. Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social; ParaguayFil: García Aguilar, Juan. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares; MéxicoFil: Khoury, Helen Jamil. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Quintero, Ana Rosa. Hospital Oncológico "Dr Luis Razetti"; VenezuelaFil: Roas Zuniga, Norma. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua; NicaraguaFil: Zaire, Edgar. Instituto Boliviano de Ciencia y Tecnología Nuclear; BoliviaFil: Nader, Alejandro. International Atomic Energy Agency; Austri

Pharmaceutical waste in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina

Se analizaron 37 farmacias y 11 dependencias municipales para evaluar la generación de residuos de medicamentos en instituciones locales. Los datos hallados fueron poco significativos al compararlos con los residuos biopatogénicos por volumen y peligrosidad. La generación domiciliaria de medicamentos caducos es mayor que la institucional. Se propone no incluir en la misma norma residuos biopatogénicos y medicamentos (por diferencias en el riesgo que involucran, recaudos de manejo y tratamientos requeridos), unificar nomenclatura en distintas jurisdicciones, devolver todos los medicamentos vencidos a los laboratorios de origen e implementar un sistema de recupero de medicamentos inutilizados en hogares para su disposición adecuada, bajo supervisión farmacéutica.Thirty-seven pharmacies and eleven community health centers were studied in order to evaluate the local pharmaceutical waste generation. The values obtained were of not much significance when their volume and riskness were compared with biopatogenic waste. Home generation of pharmaceutical waste was greater than institutional generation. It is proposed not to include biopatogenic and pharmaceutical waste in the same rule because of their differences in risk, management care and required treatments; to unify nomenclature in different jurisdictions; to return all expired pharmaceuticals to manufacturers, and to develop a recover system from homes to give the expired pharmaceuticals an appropriate management under a pharmacist responsibility.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Pharmaceutical waste in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina

Se analizaron 37 farmacias y 11 dependencias municipales para evaluar la generación de residuos de medicamentos en instituciones locales. Los datos hallados fueron poco significativos al compararlos con los residuos biopatogénicos por volumen y peligrosidad. La generación domiciliaria de medicamentos caducos es mayor que la institucional. Se propone no incluir en la misma norma residuos biopatogénicos y medicamentos (por diferencias en el riesgo que involucran, recaudos de manejo y tratamientos requeridos), unificar nomenclatura en distintas jurisdicciones, devolver todos los medicamentos vencidos a los laboratorios de origen e implementar un sistema de recupero de medicamentos inutilizados en hogares para su disposición adecuada, bajo supervisión farmacéutica.Thirty-seven pharmacies and eleven community health centers were studied in order to evaluate the local pharmaceutical waste generation. The values obtained were of not much significance when their volume and riskness were compared with biopatogenic waste. Home generation of pharmaceutical waste was greater than institutional generation. It is proposed not to include biopatogenic and pharmaceutical waste in the same rule because of their differences in risk, management care and required treatments; to unify nomenclature in different jurisdictions; to return all expired pharmaceuticals to manufacturers, and to develop a recover system from homes to give the expired pharmaceuticals an appropriate management under a pharmacist responsibility.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Latin American dose survey results in mammography studies under IAEA Programme: Radiological Protection of Patients in Medical Exposures (TSA3)

Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela) working under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Technical Cooperation Programme: TSA3 Radiological Protection of Patients in Medical Exposures have joined efforts in the optimization of radiation protection in mammography practice. Through surveys of patient doses, the region has a unique database of diagnostic reference levels for analog and digital equipment that will direct future optimization activities, towards the early detection of breast cancer among asymptomatic women. During RLA9/057 (2007-2009) 24 institutions participated with analog equipment in a dose survey. Regional training on methodology and measurement equipment was addressed in May 2007. Mean glandular dose (DG) was estimated using the incident kerma in air and relevant conversion coefficients for both projections craneo caudal and mediolateral oblique (CC and MLO). For phase two, RLA9/067 (2010-2011), it was decided to include also digital systems in order to see their impact in future dose optimization activities. Any new country that joined the project received training in the activities through IAEA expert missions. 29 new institutions participated (9 analog and 20 digital equipment). A total of 2262 patient doses were collected during this study and from them DG (mGy) for both projections were estimated for each institution and country. Regional results (75 percentile in mGy) show for CC and MLO respectively: RLA9/057 (analog) 2.63 and 3.17; RLA/067: 2.57 and 3.15 (analog) and 2.69 and 2.90 (digital). Regarding only digital equipment for CC and MLO respectively, computed radiography (CR) systems showed 2.59 and 2.78 and direct digital radiography (DDR) systems 2.78 and 3.04. Based on the IAEA Basic Safety Standard (BSS) reference dose (3mGy), it can be observed that there is enough room to start optimization processes in Latin America (LA); several countries or even particular institutions have values much higher than the 3mGy. Main issues to address are: lack of well established Quality Assurance (QA) programs for mammography, not enough medical physicists with training in mammography, an increase in patient doses with the introduction of digital equipment and to create awareness on radiation risk and optimization strategies,Fil: Mora, Patricia. Universidad de Costa Rica; Costa RicaFil: Blanco, Susana Alicia Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Khoury, Helen. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Leyton, Fernando. Universidad Diego Portales; Chile. Universidad de Tarapaca.; ChileFil: Cárdenas, Juan. Centro de Protección e Higiene de las Radiaciones; CubaFil: Defaz, María Yolanda. Hospital Oncológico Solca Núcleo de Quito; EcuadorFil: Escobar, Carolina. Unidad Reguladora de Radiaciones Ionizantes; El SalvadorFil: Flaviano Telón. Ministerio de Energía y Minas. Dirección General de Energía ; GuatemalaFil: García Aguilar, Juán. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares; MéxicoFil: Roas, Norma. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua; NicaraguaFil: Gamarra, Mirta. Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social; ParaguayFil: Blanco, Daniel. Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares; UruguayFil: Quintero, Ana Rosa. Hospital Oncológico ‘Dr. Luis Razetti’; VenezuelaFil: Nader, Alejandro. Organización de Las Naciones Unidas; Argentina. International Atomic Energy Agency; Austri