Optimization and audit of radiation dose during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
Roshan S Livingstone1, B S Timothy Peace, Sunil Chandy
1Department of Radiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Insights
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures deliver high radiation doses. Optimizing exposure parameters and using copper filters significantly reduced patient radiation exposure by 27-47%.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Radiology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is an interventional cardiology procedure.
- PTCA procedures are associated with higher patient radiation doses compared to other cardiac interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To audit and optimize radiation doses for patients undergoing PTCA.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of dose reduction strategies in PTCA.
Main Methods:
- Studied 44 patients undergoing PTCA with single or multiple stent placement.
- Measured radiation doses using a dose area product (DAP) meter.
- Implemented copper filters and optimized exposure parameters for dose reduction.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 27-47% reduction in radiation dose.
- Mean DAP values decreased from 66.16 to 48.67 Gy cm(2) for single stent placement.
- Mean DAP values decreased from 122.68 to 65.44 Gy cm(2) for multiple stent placement.
Conclusions:
- Copper filters and optimized exposure parameters are effective in reducing radiation doses during PTCA.
- Periodical radiation dose audits for interventional procedures are recommended due to increasing PTCA numbers and associated risks.
Abstract:
The percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is one of the interventional procedures which impart high radiation doses to patients compared to the other cardiologic procedures. This study intends to audit and optimize radiation dose imparted to patients undergoing PTCA. Forty-four patients who underwent PTCA involving single or multiple stent placement guided under cardiovascular X-ray machine were included in the study. Radiation doses were measured using dose area product (DAP) meter for patients undergoing single and multiple stent placements during PTCA. A dose reduction of 27-47% was achieved using copper filters and optimal exposure parameters. The mean DAP values before optimization were 66.16 and 122.68 Gy cm(2) for single and multiple stent placement respectively. These values were 48.67 and 65.44 Gy cm(2) respectively after optimization. In the present scenario, due to the increase in the number of PTCAs performed and the associated risk from radiation, periodical audit of radiation doses for interventional procedures are recommended.
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