RADIATION EXPOSURE TO PATIENTS AND OPERATORS DURING DIAGNOSTIC CATHETERIZATION AND CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY

A detailed monitoring, on the basis of single procedures, was undertak en to assess the patient exposure and the occupational doses received by the operators (cardiologist, technician, and nurse) during diagnost ic coronary angiography (GAG) and percutaneous transluminal coronary a ngioplasty (PTCA). The occupational dose to the staff was measured at the collar level using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) to examine t he neck and head exposure. Patient exposure was assessed by the dose-a rea product (DAP in Gy/cm(2)) and by the skin dose (mGy) at the level of thyroid, The mean neck dose per procedure for cardiologist was abou t 0.05 mGy, a reasonable level to comply with the International Commis sion on Radiological Protection (ICRP) eye lens recommended limit. No significant differences were detected between CAG (39 procedures) and PTCA (19 procedures). Relatively high radiation doses are given to the lung of the patient with a significant ICRP lifetime risk of about 10 (-3). The patients' mean DAP was 55.9 Gy/cm(2) for CAG (79 procedures) and 91.8 Gy/cm(2) for PTCA(31 procedures) (P < 0.01). About 70% in CA G and 48% in PTCA of the total dose resulted from the cine examination ; in PTCA the total mean DAP was about 60% higher than in CAG procedur es. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.