WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Radiation exposure to the temple of anesthetists performing endovascular aortic aneurysm repair or interventional neuroradiology procedures seems to be within safe recommended limits, according to a study published in the January issue of Anaesthesia.
T. Arii, from the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo, and colleagues examined radiation exposure to anesthetists performing endovascular procedures. The investigators attached a personal dosimeter to the left temple of 77 anesthetists during 45 endovascular aortic aneurysm repairs and 32 interventional neuroradiology procedures.
The researchers found that the median total radiation dose emitted by fluoroscopic equipment was significantly lower during endovascular aortic aneurysm repair compared with interventional neuroradiology (1,420 versus 4,175 mGy; P < 0.001). Compared with interventional neuroradiology, radiation exposure to the anesthetist's temple was significantly greater during endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (15 versus 4 µSv; P < 0.001). To exceed the general occupational limits recommended by the International Commission on Radiology Protection, anesthetists would have to deliver anesthesia for about 1,300 endovascular aortic aneurysm repairs and about 5,000 interventional neuroradiology cases annually. To exceed the ocular exposure limits, anesthetists would have to deliver anesthesia for about 10,000 endovascular aortic aneurysm repairs and about 37,500 interventional neuroradiology cases.
"Nevertheless, anesthetists should be aware of the risk of ocular radiation exposure, and reduce this by limiting the time of exposure, increasing the distance from the source of radiation, and shielding," the authors write.
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