Scatter dose values in lower extremities for staff during paediatric interventional cardiology procedures: An experimental approach

The aim of this study was to determine experimentally the scatter dose at the cardiologist's lower extremities in 10 common types of paediatric interventional cardiology procedures and categorised in four age groups of simulated patients, on the basis of measurements taken from characterisation of X-ray systems together with average fluoroscopy time values and the number of cine frames used as references. The highest scattered dose rates recorded during the simulations were 700 and 4000 mSv h21 for the low fluoroscopy and cine modes, respectively. Scattered dose at cardiologist's lower extremities for the four age groups of simulated patients and procedures ranged from 1 to 28 mSv (aged below 1 y), 6 to 58 mSv (below 5 y), 13 to 155 mSv (below 10 y) and 29 to 375 mSv (below 15 y). The present study showed a maximum annual dose that may reach the cardiologist's lower extremities of 90 mSv.