Radiation Dose Reduction Using Advanced Fluoroscopy Options in Coronary Cath Lab

Fluoroscopy is integral part of diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac procedures. Among medical personnel, interventional cardiologists have the highest per head per year exposure to ionizing radiation which is two to three times greater than the radiologists. Although the patients' exposure is well below the level associated with increased cancer risk, yet as mentioned above, any exposure can be harmful and must be minimized using all possible dose reduction methods under the principle of 'As Low as Reasonably Achievable' (ALARA). Radiation exposure is influenced by factors that are dependent on patient (weight, body habitus), procedure (access site, procedure complexity, use of protective shielding, collimation) and equipment (overall quality control, field of view, beam filters thickness, pulse rate etc.). In fact in modern fluoroscopic equipment, several settings are customizable to aid reduce total emitted X-ray dose. In a diverse coronary lab as Tabba Heart institute, in addition to training the lab staff on reducing radiation exposure and use of protective gear, employment of a modern X ray system Like Toshiba (Infinix i8000V, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.); equipped with customizable radiation dose reduction technologies and DTS, provides the interventionists an essential tools to ensure the highest radiation safety standards. Data is still scanty to show the difference in patients and operators' radiation exposures by using tailored equipment settings. We aim to apply customized fluoroscopy protocols based on low fps and other customizable settings (thickness of the spectral beam filters, peak tube voltage and peak cathode current, live zoom (1.4 factors with 12 inch FOV), fluoro store and Spot fluoroscopy) and then assess if they significantly affect the radiation exposure of the patient and the interventionist.