title: A large-scale multicentre study of patient skin doses in interventional cardiology: dose-area product action levels and dose reference levels.
abstract: For 318 patients in 8 different Belgian hospitals, the entire skin-dose distribution was mapped using a grid of 70 thermoluminescence dosimeters per patient, allowing an accurate determination of the maximum skin dose (MSD). Dose-area product (DAP) values, exposure parameters and geometry, together with procedure, patient and cardiologist characteristics, were also registered. Procedures were divided into two groups: diagnostic procedures (coronary angiography) and therapeutic procedures (dilatation, stent, combined procedures (e.g. coronary angiography + dilatation + stent)). The mean value of the MSD was 0.310 Gy for diagnostic and 0.699 Gy for therapeutic procedures. The most critical projection for receiving the MSD is the LAO90 (left anterior oblique) geometry. In 3% of cases, the MSD exceeded the 2 Gy dose threshold for deterministic effects. Action levels in terms of DAP values as the basis for a strategy for follow-up of patients for deterministic radiation skin effects were derived from measured MSD and cumulative DAP values. Two DAP action levels are proposed. A first DAP action level of 125 Gy cm(2) corresponding to the dose threshold of 2 Gy would imply an optional radiopathological follow-up depending on the cardiologist's decision. A second DAP action level of 250 Gy cm(2) corresponding to the 3 Gy skin dose would imply a systematic follow-up. Dose reference levels - 71.3 Gy cm(2) for diagnostic and 106.0 Gy cm(2) for therapeutic procedures - were derived from the 75 percentile of the DAP distributions. As a conclusion, we propose that total DAP is registered in patient's record file, as it can serve to improve the follow-up of patients for radiation-induced skin injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics and Radiation Protection, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium. Evelien.Bogaert@ugent.be
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bogaert
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bacher
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lemmens
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carlier
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Desmet
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: De Wagter
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Djian
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hanet
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heyndrickx
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Legrand
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taeymans
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thierens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020714:Maximum Tolerated Dose; D008875:Middle Aged; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D015641:Radiography, Interventional / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012015:Reference Standards; D012307:Risk Factors; D012867:Skin / Q000528:radiation effects*