The SPR’s Radiological Protection Study Group of April was held on the 4th, with the theme “Real Time Dosimetry in Interventional Radiology”, led by physicist Divanizia Souza, PhD in Nuclear Technology.

The presentation began with a brief explanation of why fluoroscopically guided interventional procedures are riskier than Conventional Radiodiagnostics, as they expose patients to higher doses of radiation.

The doctor and his team are also exposed – this is mainly due to the characteristics and geometry of the device, the complexity of the procedure, the physical characteristics of the patient and the exam execution time. Therefore, the dose accumulated over the course of a career can be substantial.

To avoid damage, it’s important to assess the risk arising from exposure to radiation and verify the radiological protection conditions implemented in the services, enabling comparisons between institutions.

Biological hazards in Interventional Radiology can be stochastic and have tissue reactions. The first is cellular changes, such as cancer, and the second is evidenced above a threshold dose, depending on the type of radiation and the tissue irradiated.

Real Time Dosimetry to Minimize Risks

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Commission on Radiological Protection, it’s important to evaluate the risks of radiation, the effectiveness and the commitment to dose reduction techniques. For this, there are five important points to be analyzed:

In addition, Real Time Dosimetry must also be available so that risks are minimized. This method is based on systems developed with the purpose of providing real-time skin dose mapping.

It performs dose calculation and distribution, taking into account the variation of the equipment’s geometric and irradiation parameters, as well as the attenuation and scattering factors produced by the examination table/mattress.

The importance of this type of Dosimetry is the awareness of Radiological Protection, contributing to the reduction of its doses. With this, it’s possible to visualize the equivalent dose in real time and, thus, maintain a reasonable distance from the radiation source, and adjust the positioning with less radiation exposure without altering its performance in the interventional procedure.

To watch the full presentation, access the YouTube of the São Paulo Society of Radiology.