title: Impact of Operators' Height on Individual Radiation Exposure Measurements During Catheter-Based Cardiovascular Interventions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study is aimed to evaluate the impact of an operators' height on personal radiation exposure measurements during cardiovascular interventional procedures. Based upon both clinical data and phantom simulation, a new approach for monitoring an individual's exposure is proposed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical component of this study was composed of the operators and staff in a single center full service cardiovascular laboratory being divided into 2 groups based upon their height: group A included all individuals whose height was <165 cm; group B included the individuals >165 cm. All operators wore a standard TLD dosimeter at all times with doses recorded for 12 months. To support these clinical findings, a second investigation was performed utilizing a phantom. Measurements were obtained at 100 and 135 cm from the radiation source during simulation of different cardiovascular interventional procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The radiation dose measured from the personal dosimeters identified that Group A, operators <165 cm, had significantly higher doses than those recorded in Group B, operators >165 cm, when compared among individuals performing similar tasks (physicians, technicians, and nurses): 4.55 ± 4.0 (Group A) versus 1.95 ± 1.0 (Group B) mSv (P < 0.01). During procedure simulation with the phantom, the doses measured were similarly significantly higher if measured at 100 cm than at 135 cm from the radiation source.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that the height from radiation source does impact the measured dose from an operator worn personal TLD. This was operator specific, consistent thought-out multiple procedures, and confined with phantom measurements.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Endoluminal Interventions Unit, Rovigo General Hospital, Viale tre Martiri, Rovigo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rigatelli
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Endoluminal Interventions Unit, Rovigo General Hospital, Viale tre Martiri, Rovigo, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panin
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Endoluminal Interventions Unit, Rovigo General Hospital, Viale tre Martiri, Rovigo, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fiorrevanti
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Endoluminal Interventions Unit, Rovigo General Hospital, Viale tre Martiri, Rovigo, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Oliva
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Endoluminal Interventions Unit, Rovigo General Hospital, Viale tre Martiri, Rovigo, Italy.
authors.forename: Adami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dario
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Endoluminal Interventions Unit, Rovigo General Hospital, Viale tre Martiri, Rovigo, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorella
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tiberio
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Endoluminal Interventions Unit, Rovigo General Hospital, Viale tre Martiri, Rovigo, Italy.
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bedendo
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Endoluminal Interventions Unit, Rovigo General Hospital, Viale tre Martiri, Rovigo, Italy.
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pertoldi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Endoluminal Interventions Unit, Rovigo General Hospital, Viale tre Martiri, Rovigo, Italy.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chambers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D016507:Cardiology Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration