Effects of Low Dose Ionizing Radiation on the Hematological Parameters in Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Technologists Working in Selected Governmental Hospitals, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Exposure to ionizing radiations including x-rays and gamma rays leads to abnormal hematological findings, cancer (including leukaemia), birth defects in the future children of exposed parents, and cataracts. There is no published report in Ethiopia addressing the effect of low dose radiation on hematological parameters. Objective: To compare the hematological profile such as (RBCs count, RBC indices, Hb, Hct levels, WBCs, platelets count and peripheral morphology) of medical imaging and therapeutic technologists and controls of selected Governmental Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Method: A comparative cross-sectional study with 182 participants in the period October 2015 to June 2016 was carried out. Of them, 91 were radiation exposed and 91 were controls. Hematological parameters were analyzed using Sysmex XT-2000i. Peripheral blood morphology was done from a stained smear. Data was entered, cleaned and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Student t-test was used to compare the hematological parameter means between the two groups, the exposed and the control. Bivariate correlation statistics was used to draw association between the dependent and independent variables. P values ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Data was cleaned, entered and analysed using SPSS 21.