Occupational and patient exposure in coronary angiography procedures

Cardiac catheterization is the gold standard in the diagnosis and management of coronary artery diseases. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the radiation dose of patients and staff during cardiology procedures. Staff was monitored using thermoluminescence dosimeter (TLD) chips for 86 procedures. The mean patient dose was 2813.6μGym² and the mean fluoroscopic time was 4.8min. The mean radiation doses for cardiologists were 0.9mGy for the forehead, 0.92mGy for the thyroid, 1.38mGy for the chest, 1.28mGy for the waist and 1.41mGy for the hand. The mean radiation doses for assistants were 0.72mGy for the chest, 0.82mGy for the hand. High patient and staff exposure is due to lack of experience and protective equipment, exacerbated by a high workload. Interventional procedures remain operator dependent; therefore, continuous training is crucial.