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At the turn of September and October this year, the National Centre for Radiation Protection in Health Care will be equipped with a simulation system for interventional radiology – CathTrain VR – from the Swiss company SurgeonsLab. The purchase was funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under the IAEA TC POL9028 Project entitled “Preventing Tissue Reactions in Interventional Procedures”, in cooperation with the National Atomic Energy Agency.

The launch of the simulator and the provision of non-commercial access for physicians from interventional radiology departments, medical physicists, radiographers and students will make modern training in interventional radiology possible, with particular focus on the optimisation of radiation protection during fluoroscopy-guided procedures. The simulation system will ensure safe training in both performing procedures and applying the necessary radiation protection measures.

The experience gained during the training will promote the dissemination of good practices that enhence the radiological safety of both patients and staff, while also reducing the number of exposures not justified by clinical conditions.

We are pleased to share with you a new publication from the International Atomic Energy Agency entitled “Pillars of Radiation Protection of Patients in Computed Tomography. Guidelines on Justification and Optimization” developed under the IAEA TC RER 9157 project on “Strengthening implementation of the justified and optimized use of ionizing radiation in medicine”.

This publication is the first to provide in a single edition information on applying principles of justification and optimization in Computed Tomography (CT) practice for the most common types of examinations. The main target audience are radiologists, technologists and medical physicists who work with CT modality. The aim of this publication is to improve radiation protection for patients undergoing CT examinations.

Publication was developed by Dr Mannudeep K. Kalra, Attending Thoracic Radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Radiology with Harvard Medical School and principal researcher in CT technology, radiation dose reduction, and artificial intelligence applications in medical imaging. Dr Anushree Burade, a post-doctoral research fellow in the department of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, contributed significantly to the research based on her research experience in CT radiation dose and artificial intelligence in medical imaging.

Scientific secretary and technical officer of the project was Dr Vesna Gershan radiation protection specialist in the IAEA. Dr Gershan played a key role in developing the concept, content, and organization of the document.

The publication is available here.

The 16th National Conference “Ionising Radiation in Medicine” PJOMED 2025, organised by the National Centre for Radiation Protection in Health Care, was held on June 9-10, 2025, as a hybrid event: at the Alfred Biedermann’s Palace in Łódź and online on the dedicated website pjomed.pl. Conference guests – both those present on-site and those participating remotely – had the opportunity to participate in discussions and exchange their own experiences or views on the topics presented.

The Conference was led by: Dariusz Kluszczyński, Director of the National Centre for Radiation Protection in Health Care and Adam Grabowski, Deputy Director of KCORwOZ. The proceedings were opened by Dariusz Kluszczyński, who welcomed the guests and outlined the subject of the Conference. Then Joanna Kujawa, Head of the Department of Environmental Health at the Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health read the letter addressed to the participants of the Conference by the Minister of Health. The introductory speeches were also given by Monika Zakrzewska Monika Zakrzewska – Head of the Radiation Hygiene Department at the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate and Andrzej Głowacki, President of the National Atomic Energy Agency. President Głowacki gave a short presentation, in which he emphasized the role of the Polish nuclear regulator in the context of radiological protection, but also the importance of cooperation between institutions. He discussed, among others, cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in the implementation of national projects in two main areas: preparation for nuclear power engineering and strengthening radiation protection in the health service, as well as joint activities of the PAA and KCORwOZ implemented in the field of nuclear medicine, PET imaging and interventional radiology, as part of technical cooperation with the IAEA in 2024-2025. During the opening, a recording of the introduction by Professor Jerzy Walecki, National Consultant in the field of radiology and imaging diagnostics, addressed to the participants of the PJOMED 2025 Conference was also played.

This year’s edition of the PJOMED 2025 Conference will be on the optimization of patient exposure during interventional radiology procedures. Issues related to the prevention of adverse tissue reactions in patients undergoing procedures using ionising radiation will be addressed. The Conference, aimed at strengthening radiation protection in healthcare, will also cover the issues of dosimetry and quality control of radiological and auxiliary devices, considering new legal requirements and technological possibilities.

The Conference was opened by a lecture by Jeremi Olechnowicz from the CSIRT CeZ, e-Health Center on cybersecurity in the healthcare sector. Lt. Col. Dsc, Eng Tomasz Dawidowicz from the Military Preventive Medicine Center –Modlin presented the activities of the Military Sanitary Inspection, including the method of monitoring radiation threats in the country. Dr. Arkadiusz Trzos from the Department of Disaster Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College discussed the state of preparedness of the healthcare service in Poland for radiation and nuclear events in the context of the current international situation. This lecture was prepared together with Dr. Karol Łyziński. The POL9028 project, implemented in cooperation with the IAEA, was the subject of two lectures by members of the KCORwOZ team – Karolina Kacprzak and Lucjan Pfajfer. In the lecture by Professor Joanna Domienik-Andrzejewska, presented by Dr. Marcin Brodecki, the importance and proposed value ​​of dose constraints in interventional cardiology were indicated. In turn, passive environmental and emergency dosimetry in ionising radiation monitoring was the subject of a presentation by Professor Maciej Budzanowski from the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences. Director of KCORwOZ, DSc, Eng Dariusz Kluszczyński, presented an analysis of medical exposure for the Polish population in terms of the number of procedures performed and the dose per average resident of Poland in computed tomography, interventional radiology, nuclear medicine, radiography and mammography. Katarzyna Jeziorska from KCORwOZ presented a lecture on clinical audits and unintended or accidental exposures.

Marcin Drabek from KCORwOZ discussed the issues of ethics and communication with patients undergoing medical radiological procedures. DSc, Eng Dariusz Kluszczyński discussed radiation risk, including risk indicators: ERR, ER, AR, as well as current risk models. Unintentional exposures in the context of legal regulations and clinical practice were presented by Marta Rowińska from the University Clinical Center, Gdańsk. Analysis of occupational exposure of workers’ hands due to procedures related to the preparation and injection of radiopharmaceuticals was the subject of a lecture by Dr. Łukasz Albiniak from the Department of Nuclear Physics and Radiation Safety, University of Lodz. DSc, Eng Łukasz Michalik from the Ionizing Radiation Laboratory, GUM discussed in detail the comparative method for the analysis of isotope spectra. The lecture entitled “Interventional radiology – proper image and dose for the patient” was given by Andrzej Lutak from QualyMed. In turn, DSc, Eng Beata Englisz-Jurgielewicz from the Medical Physics Department of the GL Center presented practical aspects of dose monitoring in tomographic examinations. The closing lecture of the Conference, presenting the analysis of surveys regarding quality control tests of radiological and auxiliary equipment conducted in accredited laboratories, was given by Katarzyna Zbaraszewska from KCORwOZ.

Honorary Patrons of the event were: the Minister of Health, the President of the National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA), National Consultant for radiology and diagnostic imaging, National Consultant for nuclear medicine, National Consultant for radiation oncology, President of the Supreme Medical Council, the Polish Society of Nuclear Medicine, the Polish Medical Society of Radiology and the Polish Society of Medical Physics.

PJOMED 2025 Conference was attended by more than 180 participants, most of whom came to the sessions in person. Among them were doctors, physicists, representatives of the State Sanitary Inspectorate and health care units from all over the country, representatives of academic units from Lodz, radiation protection inspectors, representatives of health care units from all over the country and students.

The Organising Committee of the 16th National Conference “Ionising Radiation in Medicine” PJOMED 2025 expresses its gratitude to all Conference participants. We are grateful for your interest and positive reception of the event, and we invite you to the next edition of the PJOMED Conference in 2026!

Conference programme and registration form available here.