Patient radiation doses during coronary interventions in four Croatian hospitals: 4-y comparison

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Interventional Cardiology
• Radiological Protection

Background:

• Coronary interventions have increased, posing risks of significant patient radiation exposure.
• Existing legal frameworks for radiation dose measurement in Croatia are inconsistently applied.
• A quality control manual was developed and adopted by major Croatian cardiology centers to address these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine and compare patient radiation doses during cardiological interventions across four major Croatian centers over four years.
• To evaluate these doses against European Commission and professional body recommendations.
• To establish local reference dose levels for interventional cardiology procedures.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a quality control manual including device technical checks and continuous patient dose measurement and analysis.
• Systematic monitoring of patient radiation doses during interventional cardiology procedures.
• Patient examination for radiation skin injuries when doses exceed 2 Gy.

Main Results:

• Collected and analyzed patient radiation dose data from four major cardiology centers over a four-year period.
• Compared measured doses against established European reference levels.
• Established local reference dose levels tailored to the participating centers.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the need for consistent patient dose monitoring in interventional cardiology.
• The implemented quality control measures and dose tracking are crucial for radiation protection.
• Setting local reference dose levels aids in managing and reducing patient radiation exposure effectively.