RADIATION EXPOSURE TO PATIENTS UNDERGOING DIAGNOSTIC AND INTERVENTIONAL CARDIAC-CATHETERIZATION PROCEDURES

There has been a recent wave of concern over radiation exposure to pat ients during cardiac catheterization, Accordingly, we measured the are a-exposure product (AEP) to patients undergoing diagnostic and interve ntional cardiac catheterization procedures, Fluoroscopic and cinefluor ographic exposures were determined for 510 patients using an AEP meter , The total AEP was higher in interventional than diagnostic cases (16 ,289 R.cm(2) vs. 10,873 R.cm(2), P < 0.00001); multi-lesion than singl e lesion interventions (20,311 R.cm(2) vs. 15,919 R.cm(2) P < 0.0001); and in patients with previous coronary bypass surgery (20,403 R.cm(2) vs, 14,298 R.cm(2), P < 0.00001), The highest AEPs were observed in p atients with a prior history of bypass surgery who underwent diagnosti c catheterization and multilesion intervention during the same procedu re. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.