Approaches to Enhancing Radiation Safety in Cardiovascular Imaging: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association

At a glance

Type of study

Guideline or consensus statement

Who was studied

Other physicians, Patients

Where

United States

Topics

Training and educationPatient doseDose reduction techniquesRegulation and policy

Summary based on

the abstract

What it found

• Education, justification and optimization are identified as the cornerstones of radiation safety in medical imaging.

• All clinicians need education on the benefits and risks of imaging and on radiation safety principles.

• Restricting imaging to appropriate clinical indications helps ensure benefits outweigh risks.

• Techniques that give high-quality imaging at lower radiation exposure should be used when available.

• Implementation requires shared effort by physicians, patients, organizations, politicians and industry.

Limits to keep in mind

Expert consensus statement summarized only by its abstract; it reports no new data and focuses mainly on patient radiation safety rather than occupational exposure.

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• AAPM Report 58 - Managing the Use of Fluoroscopy in Medical Institutions (1998, Guideline or consensus statement)
• ICRP Draft - Radiological Protection in Fluoroscopically Guided Procedures (Guideline or consensus statement)
• IU Health Handbook of Fluoroscopy Safety (Guideline or consensus statement)
• Radiation protection practices in diagnostic and interventional cardiology: Position paper from Portuguese Association of Interventional Cardiology (2025, Guideline or consensus statement)