ABSTRACT
C-arm fluoroscopy is important device for pain management. However, pain physicians can be exposed to radiation during C-arm fluoroscopy-guided interventions. In the annual maximal permissible radiation doses, the dose of lens is lower than the doses of the thyroid and gonads. In the human body, the lens of eye is one of the most sensitive parts for radiation exposure. Cataract or opacity of lens is the most common complication of eye related to radiation. Several years ago, the threshold dose of a radiation induced cataract was changed to 0.5 Gy. In 2011, International Commission on Radiological Protection reduced the annual permissible radiation dose for the lens from 150 mSv to 20 mSv. According to the lower level of permissible radiation dose for lens, physicians should reduce their radiation exposure. This review presents the complications of the lens related to radiation exposure, permissible doses for the lens, radiation exposure of physicians, protective devices for the lens, and methods for radiation safety.
Subject(s)
Cataract , Fluoroscopy , Gonads , Human Body , Pain Management , Protective Devices , Radiation Exposure , Thyroid GlandABSTRACT
C-arm fluoroscopy is important device for pain management. However, pain physicians can be exposed to radiation during C-arm fluoroscopy-guided interventions. In the annual maximal permissible radiation doses, the dose of lens is lower than the doses of the thyroid and gonads. In the human body, the lens of eye is one of the most sensitive parts for radiation exposure. Cataract or opacity of lens is the most common complication of eye related to radiation. Several years ago, the threshold dose of a radiation induced cataract was changed to 0.5 Gy. In 2011, International Commission on Radiological Protection reduced the annual permissible radiation dose for the lens from 150 mSv to 20 mSv. According to the lower level of permissible radiation dose for lens, physicians should reduce their radiation exposure. This review presents the complications of the lens related to radiation exposure, permissible doses for the lens, radiation exposure of physicians, protective devices for the lens, and methods for radiation safety.
Subject(s)
Cataract , Fluoroscopy , Gonads , Human Body , Pain Management , Protective Devices , Radiation Exposure , Thyroid GlandABSTRACT
Objective To study the shielding effect of equivalent thickness and size of lead glasses on eye lens of interventional radiologists.Methods Based on the human voxel phantom and MCNPX software,doses to eye lens of radiologists were simulated under different conditions of wearing lead glasses and beam projections,and measurements were performed with anthropomorphic phantom placed with eye lens dosimeters to verify simulation results.Results The results showed that the dose to eye lens reduced by a factor from 3 to 9 when the equivalent thickness of glasses ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 mm Pb with a len size of 20 cm2.The dose reduction factors (DRF) not only depended on the lead equivalent,but also on the beam projection of X-rays.However,the increase in DRF was not significant whenever the lead equivalent of glasses was larger than 0.35 mm.Furthermore,the DRF was proportional to the size of glass lens from 6 to 30 cm2 with the same lead equivalent.The simulation results were in well agreement with the measured ones.Conclusions For more reasonable and effective protection of the eye lens of interventional radiologists,a pair of glasses with a lead equivalent of 0.5 mm and large-sized lens is recommended.