Objective To understand the basic situation of radiation protection in the radiation diagnosis and treatment workplaces in Tianjin; to improve protection status; and to provide supporting data for regulatory authorities.

Methods According to the stratified random sampling method, 105 medical institutions (19 tertiary medical institutions, 10 secondary medical institutions, 22 primary medical institutions, and 54 private medical institutions) in all administrative regions of Tianjin in 2019 were selected. A total of 434 radiological diagnosis and treatment workplaces (including 413 X-ray diagnosis workplaces (including X-ray cameras, X-ray fluoroscopy equipment, CT equipment room), 13 radiological diagnosis and treatment workplaces (including post-installation equipment and accelerators room), and 8 nuclear medicine workplaces (including PET/CT and SPECT/CT room)) were chosen to conduct a retrospective study on the analysis of radiation protection detection results. Radiation protection testing and evaluation were performed according to national and health industry standards. The comparison of the qualification rates of various radiological diagnosis and treatment workplaces was performed by R×C contingency table χ² test.

Results The overall initial pass rate of radiation protection testing in the 434 radiological diagnosis and treatment workplaces was 95.4% (414/434). In the radiological diagnosis, the radiation protection initial inspection rate of the CT computer room was the lowest at 79.6% (43/54). The CT and X-ray fluoroscopy room (95.5% (128/134)) had lower radiation protection qualification rate than the X-ray camera room (99.6% (224/225)), and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=7.146, 11.820, both P<0.05). In radiotherapy, the initial radiation protection pass rate of the accelerator room was the lowest at 81.8% (9/11). The unqualified indicator of the CT and X-ray fluoroscopy room was the door of the computer room, whereas that of the accelerator room was the wall of the computer room (secondary shielding area). The post-installation and radiation protection initial inspection pass rate of the nuclear medicine workplace reached 100% (2/2, 8/8). The digital subtraction angiography X-ray equipment and X-ray fluoroscopy machines operating in the same room near the platform had a 100% (35/35) pass rate for the air kernel energy rate in the protective area of the X-ray machine. The radiation protection testing qualification rate of secondary and tertiary medical institutions was relatively low, that is, 97.4% (38/39) and 93.3% (265/284), respectively. The radiation protection tests of primary medical institutions and private medical institutions were all qualified (100% (34/34, 77/77)). The qualification rate of the radiation protection testing in the workplace of private medical institutionswas higher than that of tertiary medical institutions, and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=5.438, P<0.05).

Conclusions The radiation protection of radiation diagnosis and treatment workplaces in Tianjin in 2019 failed to meet the standard requirements. Medical institutions, especially secondary and tertiary medical institutions, should strengthen the emphasis on and improvement of radiation protection in radiation diagnosis and treatment workplaces. Supervisory departments should also strengthen the key supervision and management of workplaces with unqualified protection.