Radiation exposure to medical staff in interventional and cardiac radiology.

TLDR

The study aimed to quantify typical occupational dose levels in interventional radiology and cardiology and to relate these doses to patient and occupational dosimetry via dose‑area product. An experimental correlation was established between environmental dosimetric records and dose‑area products across 83 procedures performed by 10 specialists in six laboratories, using thermoluminescent chips on the eyes, forehead, neck, hands, left shoulder, forearm, and arm, together with electronic devices in the C‑arm to estimate occupational risk. Typical shoulder doses ranged from 300 to 500 µSv per procedure without lead protection, yielding ratios of 84–120 µSv per 1000 cGy cm² for cardiology, and dose reductions of about 20 % with highly filtered X‑ray beams and automatic kV reduction, and roughly three‑fold with ceiling‑mounted screens.

Abstract

The aim of this work has been to determine typical occupational dose levels in interventional radiology and cardiology installations and to relate doses to patient and occupational dosimetry through the dose-area product. An experimental correlation between environmental dosimetric records and dose-area products in the centres studied was established. The study covered a sample of 83 procedures performed by 10 specialists in six laboratories. The radiologists and cardiologists monitored wore nine thermoluminescent chips next to eyes, forehead, neck, hands, left shoulder, left forearm and left arm during each single procedure. In addition, direct reading electronic devices for environmental dosimetry were placed in the C-arm of the X-ray system, to estimate roughly the occupational radiation risk level. Typical shoulder doses derived from electronic dosimetry range between 300 and 500 muSv per procedure, assuming no lead protective screens were used. Using these values and patient dose-area data from two laboratories, averaged ratios of 84 and 120 muSv per 1000 cGy cm2 are obtained for cardiology procedures. Finally, occupational dose reductions of approximately 20% when using highly filtered X-ray beams with automatic tube potential (kV) reduction (available in some facilities), and by a factor of about three when using ceiling mounted screens, have been found.