REAL-TIME MEASUREMENT OF SKIN RADIATION DURING CARDIAC-CATHETERIZATION

A novel skin dose monitor was used to measure radiation incident on ma ximal X-ray exposed skin during 135 diagnostic and 65 interventional c oronary procedures. For the diagnostic studies (n = 135), mean skin do se was 180 +/- 64 mGy; for PTCA (n = 35), it was 1021 +/- 674 mGy, sin gle stents (n = 25) 1529 +/- 601 mGy, and multiple stents with rotatio nal atherectomy (n = 5) 2496 +/- 1028 mGy. The dose independently incr eased with more cine runs, more fluoroscopy, and greater patient weigh t. Physicians should consider the potential for adverse radiation expo sure when planning coronary interventional cases and deciding on the X -ray mode and angles used. (C) 1988 Wiley-Liss, Inc.