Radiation risk evaluation and reference doses in interventional radiology

In interventional radiology, there are two potential hazards to the patient. These are somatic risks and, for certain procedures, deterministic injuries. The task of radiation protection in interventional radiology is to minimise somatic risks and avoid deterministic injuries. Radiation protection tools and protocols must be developed to achieve these two objectives. Reference doses have been proposed as a method of identifying high dose centres and equipment. The role of reference doses in interventional radiology will be discussed. There are two approaches to reference doses in interventional radiology. These are the measurement of patient entrance skin dose or skin dose rate, or image intensifier input dose rate. Alternatively, dose area product or effective dose to the patient may be monitored. These two main approaches have their advantages and disadvantages. (author)