Radiation exposure to operators performing pharmacologic stress testing in ^99mTc myocardial perfusion imaging: a prospective study

This prospective study investigated radiation exposure dose (RED) to main operator (MO) and supervisory operator (SO) performing dipyridamole stress testing in a 1-d rest/stress ^99mTc tetrofosmin single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of consecutive 42 patients. MO was instructed to be close to the patients during the entire procedures including the vasodilator and radiotracer injection. SO mainly recorded the data on the procedures apart from the patients. RED, procedure time (PT) and internal radioactivity (IR) of patients were measured before and after a secondary tracer injection for stress SPECT, respectively. RED was significantly greater to MO than to SO (6.2 ± 2.7 vs 2.5 ± 2.1 μSV per stress procedure, p < 0.0001). Multivariate analyses revealed that IR and PT were significantly independent factors to predict RED to both operators. Operators performing pharmacologic stress procedure should be aware that IR and PT are independent factors for RED in ^99mTc myocardial perfusion imaging. (authors)