Occupational Exposure in Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization

Radiation doses to staff involved with pediatric cardiac catheterization were measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters in 18 procedures. The average doses to the lens and thyroid, and the effective dose per procedure to the main operating physicians was 88, 180, and 8 microSv, respectively; to assistant physicians, 23, 51, and 2 microSv; and to technicians, 23, 27, and 2 microSv. In some procedures, the dose to the technician's hand approached 1,500 microSv. The doses received by physicians were proportional to cineangiographic time but with no correlation with integrated currents. The number of procedures which may be performed in a year by individual staff members was estimated to be 430 and 2,780 procedures for physicians and assistants, respectively. It was suggested that the front of the neck is an adequate position for the dosimeter to measure doses during pediatric catheterization.