Interventional cardiologists exposed to high radiation dose

Interventional cardiologists receive very high radiation exposure levels to the left side of their head when performing fluoroscopically guided invasive cardiovascular procedures, according to a study published recently in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

The study examined seven cardiology fellows and four attending physicians and was led by Dr. Ehtisham Mahmud of the University of California, San Diego. The group found that the interventionalists received 16 times the ambient radiation level to the left side of the head while performing an invasive cardiovascular procedure. What's more, radiation exposure to the left side of the head was 4.7 times higher than exposure to the right side (JACC Cardiovasc Interv, August 2015, Vol. 8:9, pp. 1197-1206).

With more fluoroscopically guided procedures being performed in the U.S. each year, hospitals need to investigate technologies that position operators farther from the source of radiation to reduce or eliminate the potential for long-term health risks without compromising patient outcomes, said Michael Seymour, director of advocacy programs for the Organization for Occupational Radiation Safety in Interventional Fluoroscopy (ORSIF), in a statement.