Radiation exposure to patients undergoing diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization procedures.

There has been a recent wave of concern over radiation exposure to patients during cardiac catheterization. Accordingly, we measured the area-exposure product (AEP) to patients undergoing diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization procedures. Fluoroscopic and cinefluorographic exposures were determined for 510 patients using an AEP meter. The total AEP was higher in interventional than diagnostic cases (16,289 R.cm2 vs. 10,873 R.cm2, P < 0.00001); multi-lesion than single lesion interventions (20,311 R.cm2 vs. 15,919 R.cm2 P < 0.0001); and in patients with previous coronary bypass surgery (20,403 R.cm2 vs. 14,298 R.cm2, P < 0.00001). The highest AEPs were observed in patients with a prior history of bypass surgery who underwent diagnostic catheterization and multilesion intervention during the same procedure.