Patient Dosimetry During Interventional Cardiology Procedures

Interventional cardiology procedures generally require prolonged fluoroscopy time and a series of radiographic exposures which result in increased radiation doses and risks to patient and personnel. In order to assess patients' stochastic risk during PTCA, the dose-area product (DAP) was measured and the effective dose was calculated by multiplying the DAP by a factor of 0.2 mSv.Gy-1.cm-2. The risk for deterministic effects was estimated by the skin entrance exposure (SEE) measured either by TLDs placed on the patients's skin or calculated using the DAP value over the mean field size. Finally, the clinical protocols used by two teams of cardiologists during RF catheter ablation were compared and the differences in effective doses delivered to the patient were discussed. Complying with the European Directive on Patient Protection, reference dose levels were tentatively suggested in terms of DAP.