TU-H-204-01: Work of ICRP in relation to activities of medical physicists.

Since 1928, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has developed, maintained, and elaborated the International System of Radiological Protection used world-wide as the common basis for radiological protection standards, legislation, guidelines, programs, and practice. ICRP provides and periodically revises radiation and tissue weighing factors, provides and updates recommended dose limits for occupational and public exposures, recommends dose levels for termination of pregnancy, and estimates threshold doses for tissue reactions (deterministic effects). ICRP developed the dose quantity "effective dose". NCRP Council Committee 1 (CC-1) is charged with developing recommendations for revising radiation protection guidance for the United States. Topics to be discussed include a summary of current ICRP guidance, NCRP CC-1 directions, NRC regulatory changes on the horizon, and potential implications of radiation protection guidance changes on the practice of medicine. The opinions of AAPM members on potential changes are welcomed. NCRP Program Area Committee (PAC) 4 has oversight of activities in radiation protection in medicine, including protection of patients and training of health care workers. Documents have been published recently on diagnostic reference levels and achievable doses, health effects of preconception and prenatal radiation exposure, and administrative policies for quality assurance and peer review of tissue reactions associated with fluoroscopically guided interventions. Additional documents are in preparation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. To understand the international system of radiation protection and learn about the work of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in relation to activities of medical physicists 2. To understand the ongoing work of NCRP in developing new guidance for radiation protection in the U.S. 3. To understand the ongoing work of NCRP in developing new recommendations for radiation protection in medicine. 4. To learn about other national organizations in US whose work plays a useful role in the activities of medical physicists. M. Rehani, Work done as part of being member of ICRP. ICRP is an independent charity.