The purpose of this study was to estimate the radiation dose to which
children are exposed during cardiac catheterizations for the treatment
of ventricular and atrial septal defects. Radiation doses were estimated
for 46 children aged 1-18 years. These children were treated for
secundum atrial septal defects (ASD group) for perimembranous
ventricular septal defects (VSD group) or underwent a routine diagnostic
catheterization (diagnostic group). Thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs)
were attached in locations, representing the lateral entrance dose, the
posterior entrance dose, the thyroid dose, and the gonad dose,
respectively. A dose area product (DAP) meter was also attached
externally on the posterior-anterior (PA) tube to give a direct value in
cGy cm(2) for each procedure. The patient’s entrance dose from the PA
field ranged from 1.5 to 185.0 mGy for all patients, while the lateral
entrance dose varied from 0.9 to 204 mGy. Radiation exposure to the
thyroid and the gonads was found to vary from 0.4 to 8.3 and 0.1 to 2.1
mGy, respectively. The DAP meter recorded DAP values for the posterior
tube, between 46 and 3,700 cGy cm(2). The mean effective dose was found
to be 7.7, 16.2, and 33.3 mSv for the diagnostic, the ASD, and the VSD
group, respectively. Very strong correlation was found between the DAP
values and the entrance radiation dose measured with TLDs. The mean
entrance dose received from therapeutic cardiac catheterizations using
the Amplatzer devices was found approximately twice the dose received
from a diagnostic one. Even for the most complex procedures, the maximum
entrance dose was at least 10 times lower than the threshold, associated
with skin erythema. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc
