Assessment of Lead Apron Condition and Performance at Radiology Departments in Hospitals in Anambra State

Lead protective aprons are essential radiation protection devices in fluoroscopy, interventional radiology, and theatre-based imaging, and their attenuation performance degrades over time through cracking, delamination, and contamination, creating radiation protection risks if defective aprons are used in practice. In Anambra State hospitals, the maintenance and performance status of lead protective aprons has not been systematically surveyed. This study assesses the condition and radiation attenuation performance of lead aprons in use at radiology departments across hospitals in Anambra State. A cross-sectional audit design is applied to ten hospitals across Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi, inspecting all 95 lead aprons in departmental use. Visual inspection and fluoroscopic examination of each apron under standardised technique are performed to identify cracks, tears, holes, and delaminated areas. Apron condition is scored using a validated grading scheme. Descriptive statistics and frequency analysis are computed in SPSS. Available radiation protection equipment literature from South East Nigeria identifies 25 to 40 percent of lead aprons in Nigerian radiology departments as having detectable defects on fluoroscopic inspection, with aprons older than seven years having significantly higher defect rates. The BIR Guidance on Lead Rubber Apron Checks and the AAPM Report 57 on protective apron performance provide the normative standards. Findings are expected to reveal a high defect prevalence attributable to inadequate maintenance and absence of scheduled inspection programmes. Recommendations address mandatory annual fluoroscopic apron inspection, documented maintenance records, and procurement protocols for replacing defective protective equipment in Anambra State radiology departments. Keywords: lead aprons, radiation protection, fluoroscopy, Anambra State, South East Nigeria.