Evaluation of Patient Skin Effective Dose Due to Diagnostic Procedures With X–rays in Lagos State, Nigeria

Patient dose measurement in radiological procedures is an important and indispensable way of assessing the quality of procedures and the detriments of exposure to ionizing radiation. It is of particular application for interdepartmental comparison of the quality of procedures, of different protocols and of new techniques. The results of the Patient Skin Effective Dose (PSED) monitored for 9 most common radiodiagnostic and 4 special procedures in Lagos State, Nigeria are reported. The common procedures are the plain radiographs of the chest, skull, cervical spine, sinus, lumbosacral spine, pelvis, abdomen, shoulder and foot and hysterosalpingography (HSG), intravenous urography, barium meal and barium enema are the special or contrast procedures. 1977 procedures were monitored in some selected private and public hospitals for a period of over 12 months. These comprise of 1485 plain radiographic and 492 contrast procedures. Foot has the lowest mean PSED value of 0.310 x 10-3Sv while lumbosacral spine has the highest mean of 3.960 x 10-3SV among the common procedures. The PSED values in the contrast procedures are generally higher than the plain, with HSG having the lowest mean value of 2.300 x 10-3SV and barium enema having the highest mean value of 5.270 x 10-3Sv. The results compare favourably with those from other countries earlier reported in the literature. The slight differences observed have been attributed to differences in the patient anatomy, the radiographic exposure parameters and exposure conditions. KEY WORDS: patient skin effective dose, radiodiagnostic procedures, dose limits, radiation hazards. Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol.4(1) 2005: 46-5

Scintigraphic analysis of thyroid diseases at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria

No Abstract.West African Journal of Radiology Vol. 11(1) 2004: 25-3

Recent technological development in the clinical application of ionizing radiations

No Abstract

Assessment of Pre-operational radiological conditions at the Linac Centre of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

No Abstract

Assessment of Radiofrequency Power Density Distribution around GSM and Broadcast Antenna Masts in Lagos City, Nigeria

Background: Global system of mobile communication (GSM) and other telecommunication technologies are now common place in Lagos state Nigeria. The introduction of GSM in 2002 considerably increased  radiofrequency (RF) radiation exposure of the public from  telecommunications transmitting and receiving antennae. The RF radiationemanating from these devices, if above international limits may pose health risk to the public.Objective: There is need for database of RF distribution level in Nigeria for safety assessment. The purpose of this study is to determine power density around different telecommunications antenna base stations and compare the measured values with the international recommended exposure limits in order to assess the safety of the members of the public.Methods: A radiofrequency meter, Electrosmog from LESSEMF USA was used for the measurement. It is a highly sensitive device capable of Institute  of  Electrical  and  Electronicsmeasuring frequency between 50 MHz and 3.5 GHz. Measurements were taken at distances of 25, 50, 100, 150 and 200 m from selected antenna base stations in Lagos state. The results were compared with the International Commission of Non-Ionizing Radiation and Protection  (ICNIRP) and the  Engineering/American National Standard Institute (IEEE/ANSI).Results: Power densities obtained varied between 0.219 and 302.40 mW.m-2 from the studied base stations. Comparison of the results with the ICNIRP and IEEE/ANSI recommended safety standards of 12000 mW.m-2 and 5700 mW.m-2 showed that the exposure levels are very low.Conclusion: Power densities of the RF radiation from telecommunication transmitting/receiving antennae were far below international standard limits. The measured values are not likely capable of inducing significanthazardous health effects among the people that are at least 6 m away from the antennae.Keywords: Telecommunications antennae, RF exposurehazards, safety standards, power density

Effects of 2.45 GHz Radiofrequency Radiation Exposures on Normal and Sickle Erythrocytes

Twenty subjects were used for the study, ten adult sickle cell and ten adult non-sickle cell patients. Blood samples were collected for analysis before and after being irradiated with a 2.45 GHz radiofrequency source. The osmotic fragility of the red blood cells, the packed cell volume and percentage haemolysis for irreversibly sickled cells and non-sickle cells were determined, and the results compared. It was discovered that osmotic fragility of sickle cell subjects was much higher than that of non-sickle cell subjects. The mean corpuscular fragility of sickle cells observed was less than that of non–sickle cells. The value at Complete Lyses for non-sickle cells before irradiation HbAAb was 0.22 ± 0.01% and after HbAAa, it was 0.23 ± 0.02% with a p-value < 0.05. In the sickle cells samples before HbSSb and after HbSSa, the values were 0.12 ± 0.01% and 0.42 ± 0.01% respectively with p-value < 0.01. The PCV values for the HbAAb sample ranged from 37.50 to 55.49% with a mean (± SEM) of 44.93 ± 0.90%. The range for the HbAAa was from 26.02 to 34.12% giving a mean of 30.12 ± 0.20% (with p < 0.01). The values for the HbSSb sample ranged between 20.00 and 34.00% giving a mean of 26.53 ± 1.20% while for the HbSSa, the range was 1.00 to 6.06%, giving a mean value of 5.06 ± 1.00% (p < 0.01). The results obtained demonstrate that exposures to 2.45 GHz radiofrequency radiation have much harmful effects on sickle cell and have no significant effect on non-sickle cell carriers. The percentage of haemolysis remains persistently high after exposure of sickled cells while that of non-sickle cells showed little variations compared with control. KEY WORDS: Radiofrequency radiation, Sickle cells, Non-sickle cells, Osmotic fragility. Nig. Jnl Health & Biomed. Sciences Vol.3(1) 2004: 56-5