PATIENT DOSE ASSESSMENT AFTER INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY PROCEDURES: A MULTI-CENTRIC APPROACH TO TRIGGER OPTIMISATION

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Interventional Cardiology
• Radiological Protection

Background:

• Fluoroscopically guided interventions are increasing in number and complexity.
• Optimizing patient X-ray dose is crucial for radiation safety in cardiology.
• Analyzing clinical practice is essential for effective dose optimization strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and compare X-ray dose indicators across multiple Swiss cardiology centers.
• To establish a baseline for optimizing radiation dose in interventional cardiology procedures.
• To identify potential areas for improving patient safety through data-driven insights.

Main Methods:

• Collected dose data (air kerma, dose-area product, fluoroscopy time, image count) from 8 Swiss centers.
• Focused on 10 different vascular and heart rhythm procedures.
• Utilized in-house software for statistical analysis, including quartile calculations.

Main Results:

• Large-scale analysis of dose indicators was performed across participating centers.
• Anonymous cross-comparison of dose indicators provided insights into local practice variations.
• Data highlighted the potential for optimization based on comparative analysis.

Conclusions:

• Cross-center analysis of dose indicators can initiate local practice optimization in interventional cardiology.
• Further development towards operator-based data analysis is needed for individual practice optimization.
• Implementing data-driven strategies is key to enhancing patient radiation safety.