Does cardiologist- or radiographer-operated fluoroscopy and image acquisition influence optimization of patient...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Radiology
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Radiation exposure during coronary angiography varies significantly across healthcare centers.
• Optimizing radiation dose is crucial for patient safety in interventional cardiology procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare radiation doses during cardiologist-controlled versus radiographer-controlled radiation exposure in coronary angiography.
• To investigate the impact of cardiologist experience (grade) on radiation dose during these procedures.

Main Methods:

• Patients were randomized to either cardiologist- or radiographer-controlled radiation exposure groups.
• Radiation dose was measured using a dose-area product meter, recording fluoroscopy and image acquisition exposure.
• Screening times and radiation doses were compared between the two operator groups and by cardiologist grade.

Main Results:

• Mean radiation dose was significantly lower in the cardiologist-controlled group (15.6 Gy cm²) compared to the radiographer-controlled group (17.3 Gy cm²).
• No significant difference in screening times was observed between the operator groups.
• Differences in radiation dose were primarily attributed to image acquisition exposure.
• Consultant cardiologists achieved significantly lower screening times and radiation doses than registrars, irrespective of the operator group.

Conclusions:

• Radiographer-controlled radiation exposure does not reduce screening time or radiation dose during routine coronary angiography.
• Senior cardiologists, when controlling radiation exposure, achieve the lowest radiation doses in coronary angiography procedures.