Pilot Study on Eye Lens Doses to Interventional Cardiologists during CA/PTCA Procedures in Slovakia

According to the recommened new occupational dose limit for the lens of the eye we focused our attention to the identification of high dose fluoroscopic areas where the eye lens doses of the medical staff may potentially exceed the recommended limits. In the pilot study was estimated the radiation load of eye lenses among interventional cardiologists performing CA/PTCA procedures in the Department of Interventional Cardiology in Slovakia where the frequency of the chosen interventional procedure is prevailingly used. The exposures of eye lens and the whole body doses were measured for three interventional cardiologists by TLD's and RaySafe dosemeters during two measuring periods. Presented results have shown that although the whole-body annual doses obtained by the followed cardiologists does not exceed the annual limit of effective dose, the equivalent doses to the lens of the eye obtained from TLD's reached the overflow value. The results also confirmed the need of the eye lens dose monitoring and optimisation of the used protection tools, as well as of the performance and time reduction of the interventional procedure. (author)