Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026

Magnetically-Assisted Remote Controlled Microcatheter Tip Deflection under Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: April 4, 2013
Main clinical, therapeutic and technical factors related to patient's maximum skin dose in interventional cardiology
N Journy1, S Sinno-Tellier, C Maccia
1Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint-Maurice, France. njourny@gmail.com
Objective:
The study aimed to characterise the factors related to the X-ray dose delivered to the patient's skin during interventional cardiology procedures.
Methods:
We studied 177 coronary angiographies (CAs) and/or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties (PTCAs) carried out in a French clinic on the same radiography table. The clinical and therapeutic characteristics, and the technical parameters of the procedures, were collected. The dose area product (DAP) and the maximum skin dose (MSD) were measured by an ionisation chamber (Diamentor; Philips, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and radiosensitive film (Gafchromic; International Specialty Products Advanced Materials Group, Wayne, NJ). Multivariate analyses were used to assess the effects of the factors of interest on dose.
Results:
The mean MSD and DAP were respectively 389 mGy and 65 Gy cm(-2) for CAs, and 916 mGy and 69 Gy cm(-2) for PTCAs. For 8% of the procedures, the MSD exceeded 2 Gy. Although a linear relationship between the MSD and the DAP was observed for CAs (r=0.93), a simple extrapolation of such a model to PTCAs would lead to an inadequate assessment of the risk, especially for the highest dose values. For PTCAs, the body mass index, the therapeutic complexity, the fluoroscopy time and the number of cine frames were independent explanatory factors of the MSD, whoever the practitioner was. Moreover, the effect of technical factors such as collimation, cinematography settings and X-ray tube orientations on the DAP was shown.
Conclusion:
Optimising the technical options for interventional procedures and training staff on radiation protection might notably reduce the dose and ultimately avoid patient skin lesions.
Related Concept Videos
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
Cardiac Catheterization IV: Nursing Management
Cardiac Catheterization I: Pre-Procedure Overview
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: Affecting Factors
Cardiac Catheterization III: Left Heart Catheterization
