Real-Time Radiation Monitoring Reduces Exposure for Patients and Physicians During Interventional Procedures

May 30, 2014—The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) announced that results of the RadiCure study demonstrate that a real-time monitoring device that beeps in the presence of high doses of radiation can help reduce patient and interventional cardiologist exposure to radiation during cardiac catheterization. The RadiCure study was presented as a late-breaking clinical trial at the SCAI 2014 scientific sessions in Las Vegas, Nevada.

SCAI noted that radiation exposure during cardiac catheterization can place both the patient and the physician at risk. Advances in imaging equipment have helped reduce patient exposure, but physician exposure is typically only measured months later. 

In the study presented at SCAI 2014, the investigators monitored physician and patient radiation exposure using the Bleeper SV (Vertec Scientific Ltd), a real-time, personal radiation-monitoring device. The device sounds every 15 minutes in response to normal background radiation and increases its beep rate as radiation exposure increases.

As summarized in the SCAI announcement, the study was composed of 505 patients undergoing left cardiac catheterization procedures who were randomized to use or nonuse of the monitoring device. Procedure times and patient characteristics were comparable in both study groups. Following the procedure, patient and physician radiation exposure was measured.

The investigators found that compared to the control group, use of the monitoring device led to a significant decrease in operator exposure (0.9 [0.4–1.7] vs 1.4 [0.6–2.5] mrem; P < .001 for the first operator and 0.5 [0.2–1] vs 0.7 [0.4–1.4] mrem; P < .001 for the second operator]. Patient radiation exposure did not differ significantly between the two groups; however, there was a trend toward lower air kerma and dose area product radiation in the Bleeper SV group (0.855 [0.58–1.507] vs 0.989 [0.61–1.802] Gy; P = .153 and 76.68 [52.98–133.53] vs 84.61 [55.37–161.2] Gy cm2; P = .125, respectively).

In the SCAI press release, the study’s Principal Investigator, Emmanouil Brilakis, MD, commented, “The device allows for immediate reaction that can limit exposure, unlike current monitoring that physicians undergo months after exposure.” Dr. Brilakis is Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories at VA North Texas Health Care System and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Research fellow Georgios Christopoulos, MD, added, “Use of a personal radiation monitoring device that provides auditory feedback helps reduce both the patient and the interventional cardiologist’s exposure."