NCRP Report 168

NCRP Report No. 168, Radiation Dose Management for Fluoroscopically-Guided Interventional Medical Procedures

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NCRP Report No. 168, Radiation Dose Management for Fluoroscopically-Guided Interventional Medical Procedures, provides recommendations and supporting information on radiation dose management for patients and medical staff during the use of fluoroscopic systems for guiding diagnostic and therapeutic medical procedures.

Fluoroscopically-guided interventional procedures (e.g., diagnostic angiography, angioplasty, stent placement) are now commonly performed in the United States, are often less invasive and less costly, and result in shorter hospital stays than surgical procedures. They are performed by radiologists and other medical specialists (e.g., cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons) with the assistance of medical support staff.

This Report will be of benefit to these physicians and the medical support staff, particularly those who currently participate in fluoroscopically-guided interventional procedures but do not have sufficient training in the practical radiation protection aspects of the use of the equipment for the procedures (e.g., knowledge of equipment operation, optimal imaging techniques, radiation dose management for patients and medical staff, benefit-risk tradeoffs, and the potential for early or late detrimental radiation effects).

This Report is also intended for policymakers who can place radiation-dose management requirements on those who conduct fluoroscopically-guided interventional procedures with regard to:

• Optimizing imaging protocols;
• Managing procedure time;
• Utilizing available radiation protective equipment and dose-management features;
• Tracking and trending radiation doses to patients and medical staff; and
• Credentialing and privileging physicians to use the fluoroscopic equipment for these specialized procedures.

The NCRP recommendations in this Report are listed in its Executive Summary for ready reference, and are highlighted in the main text where they are supplemented by more complete explanations and further information. An extensive bibliography is provided.