[An investigation of radiation exposure on pediatric patients and doctors during cardiac catheterization and cineangiography].

Cardiac catheterization and cineangiography are invasive diagnostic radiological examinations which exposure the patient to a relatively high radiation dose, the largest radiation dose of any diagnostic examination. Sixty-one infants and children, aged 28 days to 15 years, were randomly selected into this study to assess such questions regarding cardiac catheterization in children as; (1) How much the pediatric patient's and doctor's radiation exposure is during a routine cardiac catheterization and cineangiography? (2) What difference are there in exposure to various areas of the body? (3) How much radiation exposure is related to cineangiography compared with fluoroscopy? (4) How much radiation exposure may be reduced by lead apron worn by doctors? Thermoluminescent dosimeters containing 80 mg of CaSO4: Dy were applied to the body for the measurement of radiation exposure during cardiac catheterization. In hemodynamic assessment of catheterization (mean time 6 +/- 5 min), dosimeters were placed on various areas of the patient's skin and unexposed dosimeters were attached to mid sternum and right lateral chest during cineangiography (mean time 11 +/- 5 sec). Average skin doses over the patients' organs during catheterization and cineangiography were: eye 51 mu Gy, thyroid 746 mu Gy, sternum 5,102 mu Gy, right lateral chest 10,098 mu Gy, umbilicus 123 mu Gy and gonad 24 mu Gy. The radiation exposure during cineangiography at sternum and right lateral chest contributed to 61% and 70% of total exposure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)