Impact of a patient fixation device on healthcare worker radiation doses in fluoroscopy-assisted endoscopy

Healthcare professionals involved in fluoroscopy-guided endoscopy are occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation. We evaluated whether a patient-immobilization device, MEDO V-Fix®, reduces this exposure.

Monthly effective and lens equivalent dose were measured for nurses and doctors using personal dosemeters worn inside protective gear. Data from 7 months before and 10 months after device introduction were compared. Additionally a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of dose reduction was performed.

Monthly effective doses fell in both professions, but neither decline reached statistical significance. By contrast, nurses' mean lens-equivalent dose dropped sharply from 35.0 to 6.5 μSv per procedure (P < 0.01), whereas the reduction in doctors was not significant. In the CBA, assuming a 5-y service life, the benefit-to-cost ratio ranged 1.02-2.72, indicating economic merit.

The MEDO V-Fix significantly reduces the occupational radiation exposure of endoscopy nurses and is a worthwhile investment from a CBA perspective.