Analysis of ionizing radiation doses received by patients during electrocardiological procedures

Abstract

Medical procedures in the field of electrocardiology belong to a large group of cardiological procedures. Performing them involves exposure to ionizing radiation. In this study, five medical procedures in the field of electrocardiology performed in three medical facilities were analyzed in terms of patients’ exposure to ionizing radiation. A total of 178 patients were analyzed. Depending on the type of procedure, the recorded doses ranged from 7.4 to 614.62 mGy. The majority of electrocardiological procedures are pacemaker implantations 38% and RF ablation 33%. The results obtained show a significant dispersion of the recorded dose values in the same type of treatment. This is reflected, for example, in the high coefficient of variation for doses in RF ablation. The type of X-ray machine used during the procedure also influences the dose values. Although the exposure of patients undergoing electrocardiological procedures to ionizing radiation is much lower than in the case of cardiac vascular procedures, it may reach a similar level, especially in the case of implantation of devices regulating the correct functioning of the heart.