Editorial from guest editors current Euratom legislation (DE 59/2013): new patient management in radiation protection

Excerpt

It is our great pleasure to introduce this issue of “La Radiologia Medica” focussed in the current Euratom legislation on radiation protection. The new European Directive 2013/59/Euratom [1] lays down basic safety standards for protection against the risk arising from exposure to ionizing radiation. Furthermore, the new European Directive replacing and integrating in some cases the previous Directives 89/618/Euratom, 90/641/Euratom, 96/29/Euratom, 97/43/Euratom and 2003/122/Euratom, is expected to have a significant and constructive impact on European radiodiagnostic and radiotherapeutic procedures. One of the main goals of the Directive, born based on the continuous increase of radiation exposure of general population for medical reason, is the information and communication to the patients. New scientific data on tissue reactions call for the optimization principle to be applied to equivalent doses as well, where appropriate, in order to keep doses as low as reasonably achievable, ALARA principle. This new Directive should also follow new International Commission on Radiation protection (ICRP) guidance on the limit for equivalent dose for the lens of the eye in occupational exposure. In the medical area, key technological developments have led to a remarkable increase in the exposure of patients. To this regard, this new Directive should underline the need for justification of medical exposure, including the exposure of asymptomatic individuals and should reinforce the requirements concerning information to be provided to patients, the recording and reporting of doses from medical procedures, the use of diagnostic reference levels and the availability of dose-indicating devices. It should be noted also that according to the World Health Organization the concept of health is understood to cover the physical, mental and social well-being of an individual and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. …