Eye lens dose correlations with personal dose equivalent and patient exposure in paediatric interventional cardiology performed with a fluoroscopic biplane system.

PURPOSE

To analyse the correlations between the eye lens dose estimates performed with dosimeters placed next to the eyes of paediatric interventional cardiologists working with a biplane system, the personal dose equivalent measured on the thorax and the patient dose.

METHODS

The eye lens dose was estimated in terms of H(0.07) on a monthly basis, placing optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) on goggles. The H(0.07) personal dose equivalent was measured over aprons with whole-body OSLDs. Data on patient dose as recorded by the kerma-area product (P) were collected using an automatic dose management system. The 2 paediatric cardiologists working in the facility were involved in the study, and 222 interventions in a 1-year period were evaluated. The ceiling-suspended screen was often disregarded during interventions.

RESULTS

The annual eye lens doses estimated on goggles were 4.13±0.93 and 4.98±1.28mSv. Over the aprons, the doses obtained were 10.83±0.99 and 11.97±1.44mSv. The correlation between the goggles and the apron dose was R=0.89, with a ratio of 0.38. The correlation with the patient dose was R=0.40, with a ratio of 1.79μSvGycm. The dose per procedure obtained over the aprons was 102±16μSv, and on goggles 40±9μSv. The eye lens dose normalized to P was 2.21±0.58μSvGycm.

CONCLUSIONS

Measurements of personal dose equivalent over the paediatric cardiologist's apron are useful to estimate eye lens dose levels if no radiation protection devices are typically used.