Skin dose to patients from interventional radiology and cardiology procedures with potentially long fluoroscopy times

The increasing frequency and complexity of interventional procedures means that there is an increasing potential for the patient to suffer radiation-induced skin injuries. Dose measurements were initiated in a number of radiology, neuroradiology and cardiology departments in the Northern Ireland region which carry out interventional procedures with potentially long fluoroscopy times. The intention was to measure patient skin dose and thus estimate the likelihood of deterministic effects occurring from such examinations. For each patient, several thermoluminescence (TL) dosemeters were placed on the areas of sl;in the radiologist or cardiologist considered were most likely to receive the greatest irradiation. Results are presented which indicate that several types of procedure have the potential to produce deterministic effects to patients' skin. It was concluded that skin dose should be routinely measured for each patient undergoing an interventional radiology procedure which has potentially a long fluoroscopy time.