RADIATION DOSES TO ANAESTHETISTS DURING PROSTATIC ARTERY EMBOLIZATION INTERVENTIONAL PROCEDURES

The objective of this study was to assess the radiation doses received by anaesthetists from prostatic artery embolization (PAE) procedures. Ten PAE procedures conducted in a reference hospital in the city of Recife, Brazil were investigated. Occupational dosimetry was performed using thermoluminescent dosemeters which were located next to the eyes, close to the thyroid (over the shielding), on the thorax (under the apron), on the wrist and on the feet of the physician's body. The results showed that the anaesthetist's feet received the highest doses followed by the eyes and the hands. In some complex PAE procedures the doses received by anaesthetists on the lens of the eyes and the effective dose were higher than those received by the main operator due to the anaesthetist's close position to the patient's table and the use of oblique projections. The personal dose equivalent Hp(3) per procedure for the anaesthetist's right eyebrow ranged from 20.2 μSv to 568.3 μSv. This result shows that anaesthetists assisting PAE procedures can exceeds the annual eye lens dose limit of 20 mSv recommended by the ICRP with only one procedure per week if radiation protection measures are not implemented during procedures.