Abstract
Videofluoroscopy has become an increasingly important armament in the investigation and assessment of swallowing disorders. However, very little work has been published on the radiation dose used in such examinations and currently there is no national diagnostic reference level in the United Kingdom. Videofluoroscopy in our hospital is performed predominantly by one radiologist (IZM) in a single fluoroscopy room. We recorded the screening times of 230 patients over a 45-month period. Screening time ranged from 18 to 564 s (median = 171 s) associated with a median dose-area product of 1.4 Gy cm2. This is below the third quartile level of 2.7 Gy cm2 for all such examinations performed across the northern England. The effective dose associated with a typical videofluoroscopy dose-area product is 0.2 mSv. Videofluoroscopy is the most appropriate instrumental examination for assessing oropharyngeal swallow biomechanics and intervention strategies. This data set is based on the largest number of videofluoroscopy swallow studies published to date. Our results show that videofluoroscopy can be performed using minimal radiation doses.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Leslie P, Carding P, Wilson J: Investigation and management of chronic dysphagia. BMJ 326:433–436, 2003
Logemann JA: Evaluation and Treatment of Swallowing Disorders, 2nd ed. Austin, TX: ProEd, 1997
HMSO (Her Majesty’s Stationary Office): Statutory Instrument 2000, No. 1059: The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure Regulations), London, UK
Wright RE, Boyd CS, Workman A: Radiation doses to patients during pharyngeal videofluoroscopy. Dysphagia 13:113–115, 1998
Faulkner K, Busch H, Cooney P, Malone J, Marshall N, Rawlings D: An intercomparison of Dose-Area Product meters. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 43:131–134, 1992
Regional Medical Physics Department, Newcastle General Hospital: Annual Dose-Area Product Report, 2004
Chapple C-L, Broadhead D, Faulkner K: A phantom based method for deriving typical patient doses from measurements of dose-area product on populations of patients. Br J Radiol 68:1083–1086, 1995
Hart D, Jones D, Wall B: Estimation of effective dose in diagnostic radiology from entrance surface dose and Dose-Area Product measurements. National Radiological Protection Board Report 262, HMSO, London, UK, 1994
Joint Working Party (IPEM BIR RCR NRPB CR): Report 88: Guidance on the Establishment and Use of Diagnostic Reference Levels for Medical X-Ray Examinations. Institute of Physics and Engineering on Medicine Report 88, York, UK, 2004
Beck TJ, Gayler BW: Image quality and radiation levels in videofluoroscopy for swallowing studies: a review. Dysphagia 5:118–128, 1990
Cox R, MacGibbon B, Muirhead C, Stather J, Edwards A, Haylock R: Diagnostic Medical Exposures: Advice on Exposure to Ionising Radiation During Pregnancy Estimates of Late Radiation Risks to the UK Population. National Radiological Protection Board Report 4, HMSO, London, UK, 1994
ICRP (2005) Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (Draft). Available at http://www.icrp.org
Crawley MT, Savage P, Oakley F: Patient and operator dose during fluoroscopic examination of swallow mechanism. Br J Radiol 77:654–656, 2004
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This study was performed at Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zammit-Maempel, I., Chapple, CL. & Leslie, P. Radiation Dose in Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies. Dysphagia 22, 13–15 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-006-9031-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-006-9031-x