Health consequences of scattered radiation
Options for radiation protection – reducing scattered radiation
This article provides an overview of radiation protection options in the operating room. We would like to show you how to reduce scattered radiation in the operating room. Our short videos should help you understand the physics behind this. Furthermore, we would like to provide you with a brief and concise set of rules. The 3A rules of radiation protection have been established here:
- Distance
- shielding
- Length of stay
You can find more videos below on the individual A's of the 3A rule. There is no video on the length of stay.
Radiation exposure in the cardiac catheterization laboratory
According to a study from the American Heart Association by Andreassi et al. (2016), interventional cardiologists and nursing staff are exposed to increased radiation during their professional lives. This is primarily due to scattered radiation generated within the patient. The primary examiner is most affected.
A comparison of employees in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and a control group revealed that those in the cardiac catheterization laboratory were almost three times more likely to develop skin lesions than the control group. The risk of developing cataracts was also more than six times higher than in the comparison group. This significant difference can be attributed to an increased dose to the lens of the examiners and nursing staff. The study also found an increased risk of developing cancer. A total of 2.6% of cardiac catheterization laboratory employees have developed cancer, compared to only 0.7% in the control group. A connection that this is due to the increased radiation exposure could therefore not be ruled out.
Furthermore, the study indicated that cardiac catheterization laboratory employees suffered from musculoskeletal pain more frequently than the control group. High blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, depression, and anxiety also occurred less frequently in the control group than in the cardiac catheterization laboratory group. These relationships require further investigation in the future.
Recent studies indicate that the effects of radiation on the human body are far more complex than previously thought. Numerous studies have now been published, particularly examining the radiation exposure of staff in cardiac catheterization laboratories (e.g., Andreassi et al. (2019).
Particularly at the cellular level, permanent damage can occur from exposure to ionizing radiation, which can lead to long-term damage. However, the consequences of ionizing radiation at the cellular level only become apparent over time. The study by El-Sayed et al. (2017) suggests that DNA damage can occur due to exposure to ionizing radiation. Andreassi et al. (2019) show that long-term exposure to ionizing radiation can damage the entire immune and lymphatic systems.