Abstract
BackgroundDespite increasing emphasis on reducing radiation exposure from myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), the use of radiation-sparing practices (RSP) at nuclear laboratories remains limited. Defining real-world impact of RSPs on effective radiation dose (E) can potentially further motivate their adoption. MethodsMPI studies performed between 1/2010 and 12/2016 within a single health system were included. Mean E was compared between sites with ‘basic’ RSP (defined as elimination of thallium-based protocols and use of stress-only (SO) imaging on conventional single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) cameras) and those with ‘advanced’ capabilities (sites that additionally used solid-state detector (SSD) SPECT cameras, advanced post-processing software (APPS) or positron emission tomography (PET) imaging), after matching patients by age, gender, and weight. Contributions of individual RSP to E reduction were determined using multiple linear regression after adjusting for factors affecting tracer dose. ResultsAmong 55,930 MPI studies performed, the use of advanced RSP was associated with significantly lower mean E compared to basic RSP (7 ± 5.6 mSv and 16 ± 5.4 mSv, respectively; P < 0.001), with a greater likelihood of achieving E < 9 mSv (65.7% vs. 10.8%, respectively; OR 15.8 [95% CI 14 to 17.8]; P < 0.0001). Main driver of E reduction was SO-SSD SPECT (mean reduction = 11.5 mSv), followed by use of SO-SPECT + APPS (mean reduction = 10.1 mSv), ;ET (mean reduction = 9.7 mSv); and elimination of thallium protocols (mean reduction = 9.1 mSv); P < 0.0001 for all comparisons. ConclusionIn a natural experiment with implementation of radiation-saving practices at a large health system, stress-only protocols used in conjunction with modern SPECT technologies, the use of PET and elimination of thallium-based protocols were associated with greatest reductions in radiation dose. Availability of several approaches to dose reduction within a health system can facilitate achievement of targeted radiation benchmarks in a greater number of performed studies.
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More From: Journal of nuclear cardiology : official publication of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
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