[Patient skin injury in cardiac intervention procedures]

To discuss the circumstances of patient skin injury in cardiac interventional radiology (IVR). To demonstrate the importance of evaluating the patient radiation dose in IVR. To show the need for the appropriate patient follow-up after IVR to identify radiation effects. To highlight the incidence of skin injuries during IVRs.

Evaluation of 400 consecutive percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). The radiation dose, number of cine runs, and fluoroscopic time were recorded for all patients. The skin on the patients' backs was reviewed periodically after PCI to identify radiation injury. The relationships between patient skin effects and factors such as the radiation dose were investigated. Reviewing previous reports of patient radiation injury occurrence rate, fluoroscopic time, radiation dose (if available), etc.

Although increasing numbers of case reports of patient radiation injury resulting from IVR are being published, these reports likely represent a small fraction of actual cases. Radiation skin injury in IVR is overlooked clinically in many patients. Patients who receive a high radiation dose while undergoing IVR should be followed to identify radiation skin effects, and physicians should seek to establish whether a patient has had previous IVR, together with the entrance site and radiation dose.