Ionizing radiation-induced cataract in interventional cardiology staff.

Abstract

Background:The use of ionizing radiation has led to advances in medical diagnosis and treatment.Objectives:The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of radiation cataractogenesis in the interventionists and staff performing various procedures in different interventional laboratories.Patients and Methods:This cohort study included 81 interventional cardiology staff. According to the working site, they were classified into 5 groups. The control group comprised 14 professional nurses who did not work in the interventional sites. Participants were assigned for lens assessment by two independent trained ophthalmologists blinded to the study.Results:The electrophysiology laboratory staff received higher doses of ionizing radiation (17.2 ± 11.9 mSv; P < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between the years of working experience and effective dose in the lens (P < 0.001). In general, our findings showed that the incidence of lens opacity was 79% (95% CI, 69.9-88.1) in participants with exposure (the case group) and our findings showed that the incidence of lenses opacity was 7.1% (95% CI:2.3-22.6) with the relative risk (RR) of 11.06 (P < 0.001).Conclusions:We believe that the risk of radiation-induced cataract in cardiology interventionists and staff depends on their work site. As the radiation dose increases, the prevalence of posterior eye changes increases.