[Assessment of Radiation Dose Reduction for Medical Staff at the Patient's Head Side in Structural Heart Disease...

In interventions for structural heart disease (SHD), an echocardiologist and an anesthesiologist are also present close to the side of the bed at the patient's head. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of X-ray protective devices in reducing exposure to scatter radiation for medical staff at the side of the head end of the angiography system bed during interventions for structural heart disease. The ambient radiation dosage was measured, with and without X-ray protective equipment, to determine the rate of reduction of scatter radiation. The dosage tended to be higher at the working angle compared to the PA direction. When protective equipment was not used, the dosage tended to be higher at the side of the head end of the bed than at the operator's position. The dose was reduced by more than 90% compared to that without protective equipment by installing a protective device at the side of the head end of the bed. It is important to understand the spatial dose distribution at the working angle, and the installation of protective equipment at the side of the head end of the bed during SHD interventions can reduce the exposure of attending staff.