According to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), interventional cardiologists receive higher radiation exposure to the left side of their heads than the right side while performing fluoroscopically guided invasive cardiovascular (CV) procedures. The study followed seven cardiology fellows and four attending physicians who performed diagnostic and interventional CV procedures while wearing non-lead, XPF (barium sulfate/bismuth oxide) layered caps to attenuate radiation. Dosimeters were placed inside and outside of the caps at the left, center, and right sides of the operators’ heads to measure exposure.
The researchers found that radiation levels at the outside left of the caps were 16 times higher than those at the inside left. Furthermore, levels at the outside left were 4.7 times higher than those at the outside right. Radiation exposure was greater on the left side because the interventionalists usually stood in front of the patient with the left side of their bodies closest to the patient’s chest. The XPF caps worn were able to reduce exposure at all directions inside the cap to levels slightly higher than the ambient radiation.
Michael Seymour, the director of Advocacy Programs for the Organization for Occupational Radiation Safety in Interventional Fluoroscopy (ORSIF), points out that “due to the large number of fluoroscopically guided procedures performed in the U.S. each year, hospitals need to investigate technologies that position operators farther from the source of radiation to reduce or eliminate the potential for long-term health risks on medical staff without compromising patient outcomes.” As radiation exposure is often an occupational hazard for healthcare workers, using the right equipment is necessary to keep them safe. X-Z LAB places safety first, providing all-digital radiation detection utilizing our patented multi-voltage threshold (MVT) algorithm, such as RadTarge II | Electronic Personal Dosimeter and RadPavise | Personal Radiation Detector. These real-time, active self-reading devices measure both dose rate and accumulated dose, enabling users to always be aware of their current exposure. With a response time of less than two seconds, audible, visual, and vibrating alarms alert users when radiation levels become dangerous.