Assessment of the Occupational Radiation Exposure of Anesthesia Staff in Interventional Cardiology

Introduction: This research seeks to evaluate the occupational radiation dose, quantified as the whole-body Annual Mean Effective Dose (AMED), received by anesthesia personnel in interventional cardiology. Methods: Thermoluminescent dosimetry data was collected over five years (2019-2023) for a total of 175 anesthesia staff. Technologists comprised approximately 72.4% of the participants (55% male and 45% female), while consultants accounted for 27.6% (70% male and 30% female). Statistical tests, including Independent Samples T-Test and One-Way ANOVA, compared AMED across genders, job titles, and years. Results: The study's findings on AMED across all staff from 2019 to 2023 showed marked variability in AMED. There was a significant rise in AMED from 0.72 mSv in 2019 to 0.92 mSv in 2020, then a decline to 0.82 mSv in 2021, with further decreases to 0.67 mSv in 2022 and finally to 0.65 mSv in 2023 (p < 0.001). The average AMED over the five-year span (2019-2023) was 0.76 +/- 0.4 mSv. In terms of gender, the overall AMED for males was 0.73 +/- 0.36 mSv and for females 0.79 +/- 0.45 mSv, showing no significant statistical difference (p = 0.272). Significant differences in exposure were observed between the technologists who experienced a higher overall AMED (0.8 +/- 0.43 mSv) compared to consultants (0.63 +/- 0.29 mSv, p = 0.008). Discussion: Despite these variations, AMED values remained lower than the annual occupational dose limit of 20 mSv, indicating generally low radiation exposure for anesthesia staff. This study emphasizes the importance of ongoing monitoring and enhanced protective measures to safeguard the health of medical professionals working with radiation.