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[Radiation protection provided by tungsten bismuth caps during interventional cardiology]
Sergio Ramos-Avasola1, Natalia Díaz1, Reynaldo Roldán1
1Escuela de Tecnología Médica, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Viña del Mar, Viña del Mar, Chile.
Background:
The effectiveness against radiation of tungsten bismuth caps, used in interventional cardiology is not well known.
Aim:
To determine the degree of radiation protection conferred by these caps in real work conditions.
Material And Methods:
We compared the gross electric charges received at brain lobe levels by three occupationally exposed professionals who participated in 22 consecutive procedures, inside and outside of the tungsten bismuth cap.
Results:
The median electric charges outside and inside the cap were 3.71 (range 1.46-5.62) and 2.2 (range 1.29-3.93) nC, which correspond to a 40% radiation attenuation. However, the protection was heterogeneous.
Conclusions:
Tungsten bismuth caps provide an adequate attenuation, but its degree is heterogeneous.
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