title: Radiation doses to Norwegian heart-transplanted patients undergoing annual coronary angiography.
abstract: Heart-transplanted patients in Norway undergo annual coronary angiography (CA). The aims of this study were to establish a conversion factor between dose-area product and effective dose for these examinations and to use this to evaluate the accumulated radiation dose and risks associated with annual CA. An experienced cardiac interventionist performed a simulated examination on an Alderson phantom loaded with thermoluminescence dosemeters. The simulated CA examination yielded a dose-area product of 17 Gy cm(2) and an effective dose of 3.4 mSv: the conversion factor between dose-area product and effective dose was 0.20 mSv Gy cm(-2). Dose-area product values from 200 heart-transplanted patients that had undergone 906 CA examinations between 2001 and 2008 were retrieved from the institutional database. Mean dose-area product from annual CA was 25 Gy cm(2), ranging from 2 to 140 Gy cm(2). Mean number of CA procedure was 8 (range, 1-23). Mean accumulated effective dose for Norwegian heart-transplanted patients between 2001 and 2008 was 34 mSv (range, 5-113 mSv). Doses and radiation risks for heart-transplanted patients are generally low, because most heart transplantations are performed on middle-aged patients with limited life expectancy. Special concern should however be taken to reduce doses for young heart-transplanted patients who are committed to lifelong follow-up of their transplanted heart.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Buskerud University College, Kongsberg, PO Box 7053, N-3007 Drammen, Norway. therese.seierstad@hibu.no
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seierstad
authors.forename: Eva Godske
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Friberg
authors.forename: Christoffer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lervåg
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Widmark
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wilhelmsen
authors.forename: Erling
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stranden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage