title: Occupational radiation exposure in vascular interventional radiology: A complete evaluation of different body regions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To perform a complete evaluation on radiation doses, received by primary and assistant medical staff, while performing different vascular interventional radiology procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated dose received in different body regions during three categories of vascular procedures: lower limb angiography (Angiography), lower limb percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (Angioplasty) and stent graft placement for abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment (A. A. A. Treatment). We positioned the dosimeters near the eye lens, thyroid, chest, abdomen, hands, and feet of the interventional physicians. Equivalent dose was compared with annual dose limits for workers in order to determine the maximum number of procedures per year that each physician could perform. We assessed 90 procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found the highest equivalent doses in the A. A. A. Treatment, in which 90% of the evaluations indicated at least one region receiving more than 1mSv per procedure. Angioplasty was the only procedural modality that provided statistically different doses for different professionals, which is an important aspect on regards to radiological protection strategies. In comparison with the dose limits, the most critical region in all procedures was the eye lens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since each body region of the interventionist is exposed to different radiation levels, dose distribution measurements are essential for radiological protection strategies. These results indicate that dosimeters placed in abdomen instead of chest may represent more accurately the whole body doses received by the medical staff. Additional dosimeters and a stationary shield for the eye lens are strongly recommended.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biociências de Botucatu, Departamento de Física e Biofísica, UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Distrito de Rubião Junior S/N, Botucatu, 18618-000 São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: bacchim@ibb.unesp.br.
authors.forename: Fernando Antonio
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Bacchim Neto
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biociências de Botucatu, Departamento de Física e Biofísica, UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Distrito de Rubião Junior S/N, Botucatu, 18618-000 São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: allan@ibb.unesp.br.
authors.forename: Allan Felipe Fattori
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Sapra Landauer, Rua Cid Silva César, 600, São Carlos, 13562-400 São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: yvone@sapra.com.br.
authors.forename: Yvone Maria
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Mascarenhas
authors.affiliation: CIDRA - Centro de Instrumentação, Dosimetria e Radioproteção, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, USP - Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900 Bairro Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-901 São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: nicol@usp.br.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicolucci
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Doenças Tropicais e Diagnóstico por Imagem, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Distrito de Rubião Junior S/N, Botucatu, 18618-000 São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: drpina@fmb.unesp.br.
authors.forename: Diana Rodrigues de
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Pina
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography; D017130:Angioplasty; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011835:Radiation Protection; D015642:Radiology, Interventional; D015607:Stents
keywords: Interventional radiology; Occupational exposure; Radiation protection