Patient radiation exposure measurements during interventional procedures: a prospective study

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiology
• Radiation Safety

Background:

• Interventional radiological (IR) procedures involve significant patient radiation exposure.
• Accurate assessment of patient radiation dose and associated stochastic risk is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient radiation dose and stochastic risk in various interventional radiological procedures.
• To establish a correlation between Kerma area product (KAP) and effective dose for dose estimation.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 36 patients undergoing IR procedures.
• Measurement of Kerma area product (KAP) as a proxy for x-ray exposure.
• Analysis of KAP values across different procedures: PTA, TIPS, DA, AE, and HCE.

Main Results:

• Mean KAP values varied significantly by procedure type, with arterial embolization (AE) showing the highest mean KAP (325+/-145 Gy cm²).
• Fluoroscopy contributed 46% to the total KAP.
• A strong linear correlation (r=0.84) was found between effective dose and KAP.

Conclusions:

• Kerma area product (KAP) is a reliable method for estimating patient effective dose in IR procedures.
• Stochastic risk (risk of fatal cancer) associated with IR procedures is generally low for patients.
• Optimizing digital imaging parameters, such as the number of frames, can significantly impact total KAP and patient dose.