Radiation dose in interventional fluoroscopic procedures

Vascular interventional procedures carried out under fluoroscopic guidance often involve high radiation doses. Above certain thresholds, radiation can cause significant damage to the skin including hair loss and severe necros is. Such damage has been reported by several investigators. Many attempts h ave been made to quantitate the radiation doses to the skin involved with t hese procedures, but dosimetry methods are often flawed. To improve the sit uation better monitoring of radiation doses, fluoroscopist education, and c hanges in technology and methods are needed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.