Occupational radiation doses in eye lens and extremities during neonatal cardiac interventional procedures

The objective of this study was to evaluate the amount of radiation received by physicians during pediatric cardiology interventions in two health institutions in Recife, PE, Brazil. Twenty occupational doses were monitored under supervision during procedures performed on newborn patients using fluoroscopy systems. The doses to the lens of the eye indicated a higher average dose to the left eye, being 25 μSv/procedure in institution A and 47 μSv/procedure in institution B. The estimated annual dose according to the workload was 6 mSv in institution A and 11 mSv in institution, corresponding to about 30 % and 55 % of the annual limit, respectively. With respect to the doses in the extremities, the professionals in institution A presented an average of 240 μSv/procedure, while in institution B the average was 375 μSv/procedure. The interposition of the left hand to the primary radiation beam was observed in 65 % of the cases evaluated. This study concluded that it is essential to implement improvements in radiation protection practices to ensure the safety of health professionals involved in cardiac procedures in neonates.