The relationship between eye lens doses and occupational doses for different centres of interventional cardiology

Abstract

This study shows the level of eye lens doses and the relationship between eye lens doses Hp(3) and doses above the apron Hp(10) for 14 interventional cardiologists in 3 different centres of interventional cardiology. The doses were measured repeatedly with TLDs simultaneously placed above the apron and close to the left eye. For each patient’s procedure, the kerma-area product value (PKA) was known; values of Hp(3) and Hp(10) above the apron were normalized to total patients’ doses for procedures performed by a given cardiologist in the measuring period. The Hp(10)/PKA values for IC 1: IC 2: IC 3 were as follows: 0.19: 0.69 : 0.35 μSv/Gy*cm2 respectively. The Hp(3)/PKA values for IC 1 : IC 2 : IC 3 were as follows: 0.15 : 0.34 : 0.29 μSv/Gy*cm2 respectively. The values in IC 1 were 2–4 times lower than in IC 2 and IC 3. The expected annual Hp(3) doses were estimated; the highest was almost 16 mSv, the lowest 2 mSv. The results show different approaches to occupational radiation protection by cardiologists in the three centres (the use of an automatic contrast medium injector, shielding placed on patients to absorb scatter radiation from patients) as well as different approaches by cardiologists within the same centre. The local practice in IC 1 was more dose-saving than in the other centres. The values of Hp(10)/Hp(3) were reproducible for each cardiologist, so the Hp(10) value could be used for a retrospective estimation of the eye lens dose when needed, even when the eye lens dosimeter was not worn.