Awareness of Theatre Team to Radiation Risk From C-Arm During Surgical Procedures: A Case Study of University of Calabar Teaching Hospital in Nigeria

Purpose: This study aims to assess the awareness of the theatre team to radiation risk from C-arm as well as their adherence to radiation protection or safety measures in the study Centre. Methods: A non-experimental descriptive design was adopted for this study and a well-structured 27 item questionnaire was distributed to 52 members of the surgical theatre: Surgeons, Anesthesiologists, Theatre nurses and Radiographers in the selected hospital. Of this sample, 49 respondents returned their questionnaires. Results. Results from this study reveal a high level (83.67%) of knowledge of radiation risk from C-arm. A greater percentage of the respondents have an average level of knowledge of radiation protection or safety measures: Surgeons (58.8%), Anesthesiologists (50%), and Theatre Nurses (33.3%). Of this percentage on awareness, only 41.1% of Surgeons, 30% of Anesthesiologists, 16.6% of theatre Nurses adhere to these radiation protection/safety measures. This study further reveals a low level of awareness and use of radiation monitoring devices: Surgeons (29.4%), Anesthesiologists (10%), and Theatre Nurses (8.3%). Also, the study shows that the surgical team spends long periods during surgical procedures: 4 hours (24.48%), 6 hours (20.4%), 12 hours (6.12%), thus increasing their susceptibility to radiation effects. The study further affirms that a lesser percentage of the respondents (44.89%) knew the safest positioning of the radiation-emitting tube, meaning that a greater percentage of the respondents don’t know the safest position to take during beam-on periods. Conclusion: This study shows a high level of knowledge of radiation risk, an average level of awareness to radiation protection/safety measures and a poor level adherence of these measures by the theater team.