Matthijs Grimbergen PhD,BEng, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Christiaan Van Swol PhD,MENG, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

S. J. Braak MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

M. J. L. van Strijen PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To determine whether detailed real-time insight in personal dose (rate) during interventional x-ray procedures imparts a reduction in personnel dose.

During two periods of 4 months, personal dose was recorded in a general interventional x-ray suite (FD 20, Philips Healthcare) using the Doseaware system (Philips Healthcare) that consisted of 8 personal dose meters. These meters were wirelessly connected to a central display unit showing actual dose rate. In the first period (blinded phase) the display was hidden so that users could not see the actual dose rate. In the second period (open phase), the users could see the actual dose rate on the display, which was placed next to the monitor showing the live image. Procedures were stratified to 8 treatment types: head & neck, thorax, abdomen, abdomen/iliac, peripheral antegrade, peripheral retrograde, Xperguide and shunts. Personal dose data was recorded for 4 different roles: radiologist, resident, radiographer and circulating nurse. Two sided t-statistics were performed to evaluate differences between the blinded and open phase of the study.

In total 201 procedures were recorded (blinded phase: n=119, open phase: n= 82), divided over the 8 categories. Despite an overall mean dose reduction per procedure of 9,1%, no significant difference in overall radiation dose between the blinded and open phase for the roles in the intervention room could be observed. However, in specific categories a high mean dose reduction per procedure was realized. For the head & neck procedures this reduction was the highest: 62% (range 47.9 - 75.8).

These preliminary results show that real-time feedback of personal dose in an interventional x-ray suite not only elevated the understanding of relative dose contribution with respect to common parameters in interventional procedures during training sessions but also lead to an overall trend of reduction in personal dose. Due to the high level of detail in our study (subdivision into 8 different treatment areas), more data needs to be collected to increase the level of significance in dose reduction.

Direct dose feedback may help to control or even reduce the personal dose of interventionalists in spite of the increasing procedural complexity of their work and subsequent use of radiation

Grimbergen, M, Van Swol, C, Braak, S, Strijen, M, Real-time Personal Dose Feedback to Reduce Staff Dose in Interventional Radiology.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11034566.html