Keywords:
Radiation physics, Radioprotection / Radiation dose, Fluoroscopy, Angioplasty, Chemoembolisation, Vertebroplasty, Dosimetric comparison
Authors:
M. Psarras1, A. Ploussi1, S. C. Spiliopoulos1, K. Palialexis1, L. Reppas1, A. D. Kelekis1, D. K. Filippiadis1, E. Efstathopoulos1, I. Seimenis2; 1Athens/GR, 2Alexandroupolis/GR
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-2248
Aims and objectives
♦The chronic exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation has raised serious concerns regarding the potential development of occupational cataract and eye lens opacities [1-3],
as well as the development of brain disorders [4,5].
♦Based on recent epidemiological studies [6,7],
the International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP) revised the annual occupational equivalent dose for the eye lens to 20 mSv and the threshold for cataract formation to 0.5 Gy [8].
Depending on the workload,
the complexity of the procedures performed,
as well as the employment of radiation protection tools,
eye lens dose may exceed the new annual occupational limit.
♦The pan-European project ORAMED (The Optimization of Radiation Protection for Medical Staff) [9],
which was conducted among interventional radiologists and cardiologists,
revealed that almost a quarter of the relevant medical personnel exceed the new annual limit of 20 mSv.
♦A limited number of studies have explored the potential connection between left-sided brain tumors among interventional physicians and chronic exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation [4,5].
According to one of these studies,
three brain gliomas and one meningioma were recorded in the left hemisphere of interventional cardiologists [4]
♦The current study aim at:
- estimating the radiation doses to the eye lenses and the forehead of interventional radiologists (IRs) involved in various procedures
- categorizing the relevant radiation doses
- highlighting the great importance of systematic monitoring and recording of occupational exposure to eye lens and brain