Radiation Exposure Affecting Anesthesia Personnel during
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography
Is a Lead Apron Necessary for X-Ray Protection?
Phawan Suton BNS1, Phongthara Vichitvejpaisal MD, PhD1, Warunee Boayam BNS1, Thanaphon Thongprapan MEng2
Affiliation :
1 Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
2 Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Objective : To (cid:976)ind out the amount of radiation affecting anesthesia personnel, the appropriate positions that lowers the risk of
radiation exposure during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography [ERCP], and the necessity to wear lead apron for
protection.
Materials and Methods : Two hundred twenty-two patients that underwent ERCPs with sedation were allocated to the present
study. Four pocket dosimeters [PDSs] were placed at points A and B, 96.5 cm and 204 cm from the (cid:976)luoroscopy tube, respectively
with A being PDSal and PDSa2 on the outside and inside of the lead apron-covered box, and B being PDSbl and PDSb2 on the outer
and inner parts of the glass shield of the (cid:976)luoroscopy control room. Data were expressed as means and standard deviations, analyzed
with SPSS version 18.0. Categorical data were compared by using a Chi-square and dependent t-test. A p-value lower than 0.05 was
considered statistically signi(cid:976)icant difference at the 95% con(cid:976)idence interval.
Results : The (cid:976)luoroscopy average time was 13.7±14.11 minutes with a median of 10.1 minutes. The degrees of radiation at the
outside and inside of positions A and B, measured at 5.3±7.9 ×10-3 mSv and 0.2±0.6 ×10-3 mSv, and 4.4±5.9 ×10-3 mSv and 0.2±0.7
×10-3 mSv, respectively, were statistically signi(cid:976)icant different. Thus, the lead apron and glass shield prevented X-ray exposure by
up to 96.2% and 95.5%, respectively, without any statistical signi(cid:976)icance. The radiation at position A and B were shown to decrease
2,000 to 16,000 and 2,500 to 20,000 times from the origin respectively.
Conclusion : The degree of radiation affecting anesthesia personnel during an ERCP was so small that a lead apron was not needed
for protection. Yet, one who monitors patient sedation should stay as far as possible from sources of scattered rays since radioactive
emission could yield cumulative harmful effects.
Keywords : Anesthesia, Radiation exposure, Lead apron, Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
All Articles
Download