Archiving of Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Procedures and Records of Radiation Exposure: A Single-Center Experience

Background and objective Cardiac catheterization laboratories (Cath Labs) increasingly perform fluoroscopy-guided diagnostic and interventional procedures, making systematic monitoring of radiation exposure important. Structured archiving can support radiation surveillance, quality assurance, and procedural evaluation. This study aimed to examine dose-area product/kerma-area product (DAP/KAP), cumulative air kerma (CAK/Ka,r), and fluoroscopy time, with particular attention to variation by procedure type and the influence of BMI. Methods A hospital-based retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. A total of 190 archived patient records were analyzed. Demographic variables, procedure category, fluoroscopy time, DAP/KAP, and CAK were evaluated. The association between BMI and radiation exposure was also examined. Results The mean age of the cohort was 55.88 ± 11.04 years and mean BMI was 26.78 ± 3.87 kg/m². Coronary angiography (CAG) + percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was the most frequently performed procedure (70.5%). Median DAP/KAP and CAK were lowest for diagnostic CAG and substantially higher for CAG + PTCA. The median fluoroscopy time was 1.9 minutes for CAG, 8.3 minutes for CAG + PTCA, and 13.1 minutes for other procedures. BMI demonstrated a significant positive correlation with DAP/KAP (r = 0.470, p < 0.001) and CAK (r = 0.469, p < 0.001). DAP/KAP and CAK demonstrated a very strong positive correlation (r = 0.941, p < 0.001). No radiation-related complications or dose alerts were documented. Conclusions Radiation exposure varied by procedure type and BMI. Systematic Cath Lab archiving and continuous monitoring of DAP/KAP, CAK, and fluoroscopy time can provide useful baseline data for radiation safety, quality assurance, and dose optimization.