Standardizing Radiation Dose Reporting in thePediatric Cardiac Catheterization LaboratoryAMulticenter Study by the CCISC (CongenitalCardiovascular Interventional Study Consortium)
Reduction of radiationdose is an important quality improvement task in pediatric cardiac catheterizationlaboratories. Physicians need to agree on a standard method of reportingradiation dose that would allow comparisons to be made between operators andinstitutions.
A total of 8,267 pediatric catheterizationprocedures(age <18 years) were included from 16 institutions. The procedures consistedof diagnostic (n52,827), transplant right ventricular (RV) biopsy (n51,172),and interventional catheterizations (n54268). PKA correlated with body weight betterthan with age and best correlated with weightfluoroscopic time product. PKA/BWshowed consistent values across pediatric ages. Interventional catheterizations hadthe highest PKA/BW (50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles 72, 151, and 281 lGy m2/kg),followed by diagnostic (59, 105, and 175 lGy m2/kg) and transplant RV biopsy (27,79, and 114 lGy m2/kg).