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An investigation into patient and staff doses from X-ray angiography during coronary interventional procedures

East Anglian Regional Radiation Protection Service, Box 191, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK

Correspondence: Mr Oliver W E Morrish, Radiation Protection Physicist, East Anglian Regional Radiation Protection Service, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Box 191, Hills Road, Cambridge, Cambs CB2 2QQ, UK. E-mail: oliver.morrish{at}addenbrookes.nhs.uk

Radiation doses to patients from interventional coronary X-ray procedures are relatively high when compared with conventional radiographic procedures. These high patient doses can translate into high staff doses owing to scattered radiation. This study investigates patient doses by means of dose–area product (DAP) meters installed in six rooms in two hospitals. DAP measurements in each room ranged from 28.0–39.3 Gy cm² for coronary angiography and from 61.3–92.8 Gy cm² for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, with the mean effective doses calculated to range between 5.1–6.6 mSv and 11.2–17.0 mSv, respectively. These values are comparable with those found in recent literature. DAP measurements were found to correlate strongly (correlation coefficient of 79%) with patient weight. The non-uniform scatter radiation fields surrounding the irradiated area during coronary angiography were also investigated using a tissue equivalent phantom and an ionization chamber. Exposure rates of scattered radiation from digital acquisition were found to be around 16 times higher than those generated from fluoroscopy, and oblique-angled imaging led to greater amounts of scatter owing to the increase in related exposure factors. The distribution of scatter from oblique projections confirms that X-ray photons in the diagnostic energy range are preferentially scattered backwards, toward the X-ray tube. These concepts are a major consideration when training individuals working in the angiography suite in order to keep doses "as low as reasonably practicable".

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