Carlos Ubeda-de la Cerda, Departamento de Tecnología Médica, Laboratorio de Dosimetría Personal (LABODOP), Programa de Magister en Física Médica en Diagnóstico por Imagen, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
Pablo Soffia, Departamento de Imágenes, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
Alonso Inzulza-Contardo, Servicio de Imagenología, Clínica San José, Arica, Chile
Patricia Miranda-Gonzalez, Servicio de Hemodinamia, Hospital Luis Calvo Mackenna, Santiago, Chile
Gonzalo Aragón-Caqueo, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Diego Aragón-Caqueo, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
Medical applications of ionizing radiation and in particular diagnostic and interventional radiology procedures are the main source of artificial radiation to the world population. Ionizing radiation has the potential to generate adverse health effects in people. To make safer and more efficient use of these radiations, the International Commission on Radiological Protection together with other international organizations has implemented a system of radiological protection based on three pillars: justification, optimization, and limits. In turn, these pillars are based on four fundamental ethical values: beneficence, prudence, justice, and dignity. Given that Chilean legislation does not incorporate these aspects, nor have we found national scientific articles that address these issues for diagnostic and interventional radiology procedures, the present work of narrative review aims to develop a consultation document for health professionals, which contains in a concise manner and with precise definitions, key elements to understand how the radiological protection system works and its ethical values.
Keywords: Ionizing radiation; Radiation protection system; Ethical values