Radiation management in interventional cardiology

Optimal clinical outcomes, the minimum of clinical complications, and the avoidance of harm to staff are among the pillars supporting any successful interventional cardiac laboratory. Although radiation exposure associated with isolated episodes of care is typically limited, all radiation exposure confers risk, and these risks are well established. Deterministic effects are dose dependent direct health effects of radiation, for which a threshold is believed to exist. Patient-related factors associated with skin injury include smoking, poor nutrition, compromised skin integrity, obesity, overlapping skin folds, and skin location. “X-rays” are essential for both diagnosis and therapy. In interventional cardiology, the importance of a radiation-conscious environment is stressed where protection for the patient protects the staff and vice versa. Methods for measuring patient dose, monitoring staff dose, implementing appropriate training, and managing radiation dose from the outset of the procedure are important components of a catheterization laboratory radiation safety program.