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[[File:ICRPGuide.JPG|150px|thumb|right|link=Guide_to_Radiological_Protection_in_Healthcare_(demo)|Take me back to the ICRP's [[Guide_to_Radiological_Protection_in_Healthcare_(demo)|Guide to Radiological Protection in Healthcare]]!]]
The primary aim of radiological protection is to provide an appropriate standard of protection for people and the environment without unduly limiting the beneficial practices giving rise to radiation exposure. [[ICRP Publication 103]]<ref name="Pub103">[[ICRP Publication 103]] The 2007 Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Ann. ICRP 37(2-4), 2007.</ref> has formulated a set of fundamental principles of radiological protection that apply to radiation sources and to the individuals being exposed. These principles are applicable to radiological protection in medicine. ICRP has provided recommendations for protection in medicine through [[ICRP Publication 105]] Radiological Protection in Medicine<ref name="Pub105">[[ICRP Publication 105]] Radiological Protection in Medicine. Ann. ICRP 37(6), 2007.</ref>, [[ICRP Supporting Guidance 2]] Radiation and your patient - A Guide for Medical Practitioners<refname="SG002">[[ICRP Supporting Guidance 2]] Radiation and Your Patient A Guide for Medical Practitioners. Ann. ICRP 31(4), 2001.</ref> and [[ICRP Publication 73]] Radiological Protection and Safety in Medicine<ref name="Pub073">[[ICRP Publication 73]] Radiological Protection and Safety in Medicine. Ann. ICRP 26(2), 1996.</ref>.
===Application of dose limits for protection of patients===
Medical exposures of patients have been properly justified and that the associated doses are commensurate with the medical purpose, so it is not appropriate to apply dose limits or dose constraints to the medical exposure of patients; such limits or constraints would often do more harm than good.<ref name="Pub105"/> Often, there are concurrent chronic, severe, or even life-threatening medical conditions that are more critical than the radiation exposure itself. The emphasis is then on justification of the medical procedures and on the optimisation of radiological protection.<ref name="SG 002SG002"/>
In most situations in healthcare, other than radiation therapy, it is not necessary to approach the thresholds for tissue reactions, even for the most part in fluoroscopically guided [[interventional procedures]], if the staff are properly educated and trained. The Commission’s policy is therefore to limit exposures so as to keep doses below these thresholds. The possibility of stochastic effects cannot be eliminated totally, so the policy is to avoid unnecessary sources of exposure and to take all reasonable steps to reduce the doses from those sources of exposure that are necessary or cannot be avoided.
