Extremity doses of medical staff involved in interventional radiology and cardiology: Correlations and annual doses (hands and legs)

An intensive measurement campaign was launched in different hospitals in Europe within work package1 of the ORAMED project. Its main objective was to obtain a set of standardized data on extremity and eye lens doses for staff in interventional radiology (IR) and cardiology (IC) and to optimize staff protection. The monitored procedures were divided in three main categories: cardiac, general angiography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures. This study was performed with a database performed in 34 European hospitals. Its objectives were to determine if the measured extremity doses could be correlated to the KAPvalues; to check if the doses to the eyes could be linked to the doses to the hands and if the doses to the fingers could be estimated based on the doses to the wrists. General correlations were very difficult to find and their strength was mostly influenced by three main parameters. The annual fingerdoses of three workers were estimated and were found to exceed the 3/10thof the annual limit. Therefore, for the hands routine monitoring is necessary especially for interventional cardiology procedures, except for ERCP procedures. If the table shield is properly used, leg doses can be reduced significantly and no routine monitoring is necessary.