title: Radiation safety for anaesthesia providers in the orthopaedic operating room.
abstract: In many orthopaedic operating rooms, anaesthesia providers routinely wear lead aprons for protection from radiation, but some studies have questioned whether this is needed. We conducted a systematic review to identify studies that measured the amount of radiation that anaesthetists were exposed to in the orthopaedic operating room. Multiple studies have shown that at 1.5 m from the source of radiation, anaesthetists received no radiation, or amounts so small that a person would have to be present in an unreasonable number of operations to receive cumulative doses of any significance. Radiation doses at this distance were often at the limits of the sensitivity of the measuring dosimeter. We question the need to wear lead protection for anaesthesia providers who are routinely at 1.5 m or a greater distance from standard fluoroscopy units.
authors.affiliation: University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Rhea
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: Baptist Hospital and the Andrews Research and Education Institute, Gulf Breeze, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Riehl
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009873:Operating Rooms; D009985:Orthopedics; D011481:Protective Clothing; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*