Assessment of effective dose and dose to the lens of the eye for the interventional cardiologist.

This study investigates the relationship between personal dosemeter (PD) reading, effective dose and dose to the lens of the eye for interventional cardiologists in Norway. Doses were recorded with thermoluminescence dosemeters (TLD-100) for 14 cardiologists, and the effective doses were estimated using the Niklason algorithm. The procedures performed were coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention, and all the hospitals (eight) in Norway, which are performing these procedures, were included in the study. Effective dose per unit dose-area product varied by a factor of 5, and effective dose relative to PD reading varied between 4 and 39%. Eye lens doses ranged from 39 to 138% of the dosemeter reading. On the basis of an estimated annual workload of 900 procedures, the annual effective doses ranged from 1 to 11 mSv. The estimated annual doses to the unprotected eye ranged from 9 to 210 mSv. According to the ICRP dose limits, the results indicate that the eye could be the limiting organ.