In plain language
In 2,841 paediatric cardiac catheterization procedures at Italian centres, patient dose varied widely between centres. Higher doses were linked to practices such as keeping the grid in for small children, heavy magnification and long cine runs, and to older equipment.
At a glance
- Type of study
- Original research, Retrospective cohort study
- Who was studied
- Patients
- Size
- n = 2,841 procedures
- Where
- Italy
- Summary based on
- the abstract
What it found
Practice deviations linked to higher patient exposure included not removing the anti-scatter grid in children under 20 kg, excessive magnification and extensive cine acquisition.
Patient dose differed significantly between centres.
Key figures: Kruskal-Wallis p < 0.05
For angioplasty, centre A's median kerma-area product (PKA) was less than half that of centres C, D and E.
Key figures: 3.5 Gy·cm2 vs 9.2, 10.3 and 10.0 Gy·cm2
Centre E had higher doses for most procedures, attributed to outdated equipment.
Key figures: diagnostic catheterization median PKA 5.6 Gy·cm2 vs 1.6-4.6 Gy·cm2; PDA closure 3.2 vs 0.7-1.4 Gy·cm2
Limits to keep in mind
Patient dose indices only, with no staff dose measured. The number of centres is not stated in the abstract, and links between practice and dose rest on centre-level questionnaire responses, so they are associations rather than causal effects.
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How this summary was made
ORSIF prepared this summary with AI assistance from the abstract of the paper. A program then checked that the passage supporting each finding appears word for word in that source. A person has not yet reviewed each summary, so read the original before relying on a number. ORSIF summarizes research and does not endorse any product or company. Report a problem with this summary.
Prepared November 3, 2026.