Diagnostic reference levels in angiography and interventional radiology: a Belgian multi-centre study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology
• Radiation Protection

Background:

• Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) are crucial for optimizing radiation dose in medical imaging.
• Establishing DRLs specific to a region and procedures is essential for quality assurance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for common angiographic and interventional procedures in Belgium.
• To provide benchmarks for radiation dose monitoring and reduction in these procedures.

Main Methods:

• Dose Area Product (DAP) measurements were collected from 21 systems across 13 angiography and 4 vascular surgery centers over one year.
• Data included procedure type, total DAP, patient weight, and height.
• DRLs were defined as the 75th percentile of DAP values, calculated for the general population, a specific weight class (65-80 kg), and normalized to a standard-sized patient.

Main Results:

• Preliminary DRLs were calculated for the three most frequent procedures.
• For lower limb angiography (30% of procedures), the DRL from the whole population was 74.6 Gycm², and 63.2 Gycm² when size-corrected.
• Mean DAP values from individual rooms were compared against these established DRLs.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully established preliminary DRLs for key angiographic and interventional procedures in Belgium.
• These DRLs serve as valuable benchmarks for assessing and optimizing radiation doses in clinical practice.
• Further implementation and monitoring are recommended to ensure effective radiation protection for patients undergoing these procedures.