Minimizing radiation exposure to physicians performing fluoroscopically guided cardiac catheterization procedures: a review

At a glance

Type of study

Narrative review

Who was studied

Interventional cardiologists

Topics

Dosimetry and monitoringDose reduction techniquesRoom shielding and protective devicesCancer risk

Summary based on

the abstract

What it found

• Operator radiation dose per cardiac procedure varies widely across reports.

  Key figures: up to 1000-fold

• Operator doses have shown little or no reduction over time despite improvements in equipment and technology.

• Patient, physician and shielding factors all influence operator dose to different degrees.

• Operators can change some dose factors immediately at minimal or no cost, substantially reducing dose and potential cancer risk.

Limits to keep in mind

Narrative review summarized from an abstract only; no pooled numbers, methods for study selection, or quantified effects of individual protective factors are given.

Related research summaries

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• Addressing the Occupational Risk of Radiation Exposure in the Evolving Field of Interventional Echocardiography (2024, Narrative review)
• Radiation Exposure, Training, and Safety in Cardiology (2024, Narrative review)
• Radiation protection practices in diagnostic and interventional cardiology: Position paper from Portuguese Association of Interventional Cardiology (2025, Guideline or consensus statement)