Estimation of Patient Doses from Interventional Radiology Procedures in Pakistan Result of IAEA Project RAS /9/047

Abstract

To determine peak skin dose (PSD), a measure of the likelihood of radiation-induced skin effects, for a variety of common interventional radiology (IR) and IC procedures, and to identify procedures associated with a PSD greater than 2 Gy. IAEA project RAS/9/047 started. The study conducted in 10 hospitals of Pakistan with twenty cath labs over a period of 4years.

For the measurements of peak skin doses 180 patients are included in the project. Aged between 10 to 60 years who underwent diagnostic or therapeutic interventional procedures, e.g. (PTCA), CF, VP, HE, RF,) with fluoro time more than 30 minutes and for which the highest peak skin dose values were expected .To estimate the peak skin doses during fluoroscopically guided procedures, Dosimetry films (Gafchromic films, EDR2 films) are used, demographic data and technical details of the procedures are gathered. Equipment parameters (dose area product, total air karma) are used to estimate the skin doses. For Dose area products measurements 300 patients are included in the study age range (10-70). Young Patients who received at least 3 interventional procedures their total peak skin dose is also calculated. . Incident of skin injuries is monitored in the patients where the calculated skin dose is more than 2Gy., wide variations in PSD were observed for different procedures.

Results

83.7%ptients received peak skin dose <1GY

10.45%patients received peak skin dose 1-2GY

4.4%patients received peak skin dose 2-4 GY

1.1patients received peak skin dose 4-6GY

In PTCA procedures highest skin doses are estimated and fluoro time was more than 30 min, to assess the repeated interventional procedures on the same patients,8 patients had repeated IR procedures with fluoro time more than 30min for each procedures and their skin dose was more than 4 GY.