Which of the following are required if the operator must remain in the room during patient CT scanning? 1) protective apparel 2) gonad shield 3) personnel dosimeter.

• A. 1 and 3
• B. 1 and 2
• C. 2 and 3
• D. 1, 2, and 3

Answer: (A)

When the operator must stay in the room during a CT scan, protecting yourself from scatter radiation and tracking your exposure are the two essential actions. Wearing protective apparel such as a lead apron and a thyroid shield helps reduce exposure to the trunk and neck from scattered photons emerging during the scan, which is the practical line of defense in this setup. In addition, a personnel dosimeter is needed to monitor how much radiation you receive over the course of the procedure, ensuring you stay within occupational exposure limits and allowing for any necessary adjustments to practice.

Gonadal shielding isn’t routinely used for CT procedures. The rotating, broad-beam nature of CT and its automatic exposure control mean shields placed over the gonads may not provide meaningful protection and can even interfere with image quality or dose optimization. For those reasons, shielding the gonads is not considered required in this context, whereas protective apparel and a dosimeter are standard, practical safeguards.