Patient Body Mass Index and Physician Radiation Dose During Coronary Angiography.

BACKGROUND: Consistent with the increasing prevalence of obesity in the general population, obesity has become more prevalent among patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. This study evaluated the association between patient body mass index (BMI) and physician radiation dose during coronary angiography. METHODS AND
RESULTS: Real-time radiation exposure data were collected during consecutive coronary angiography procedures. Patient radiation dose was estimated using dose area product. Physician radiation dose in each case was recorded by a dosimeter worn by the physician and is reported as the personal dose equivalent (Hp10). Patient BMI was categorized as <25.0, 25.0 to 29.9, 30.0 to 34.9, 35.0 to 39.9, and ≥40. Among 1119 coronary angiography procedures, significant increases in dose area product and physician radiation dose were observed across increasing patient BMI categories ( P<0.001). Compared with a BMI <25, a patient BMI ≥40 was associated with a 2.1-fold increase in patient radiation dose (dose area product, 91.8 [59.6-149.2] versus 44.5 [25.7-70.3] Gy×cm2; P<0.001) and a 7.0-fold increase in physician radiation dose (1.4 [0.2-7.1] versus 0.2 [0.0-2.9] μSv; P<0.001). By multiple regression analysis, patient BMI remained independently associated with physician radiation dose (dose increase, 5.2% per unit increase in BMI; 95% CI, 3.0%-7.5%; P<0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS: Among coronary angiography procedures, increasing patient BMI was associated with a significant increase in physician radiation dose. Additional studies are needed to determine whether patient obesity might have adverse effects on physicians, in the form of increased radiation doses during coronary angiography.