Reduction in patients’ radiation exposure during coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention: The second RAY’ACT multicentre survey

Abstract

Purpose The RAY’ACT project is a nationwide program of multicentre surveys aimed at evaluating patient radiation protection (RP) for coronary angiography (CA) and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in French non-university public hospitals, which represent > 30 % of the national activity for PCIs, and 60 % of the emergency cases. Methods In the second RAY’ACT survey, RP parameters from 48,547 CAs and 40,026 PCIs performed at 61 centres during 2013 (see Table 1 ) and routinely registered in professional software were extracted and analysed retrospectively. Dose × area product (DAP), fluoroscopy time (FT), number of registered frames (NF) and runs (NR), and total Air Kerma at interventional reference point (AK,r) were analysed separately for CAs and PCIs (elective and ad hoc pooled). All procedures of the year were included. Results Overall, a highly significant reduction in DAP of 20 %, and in AK,r and NF of 30 % was demonstrated for CA and PCI, while FT and NR decreased of 11 % and 5 %, respectively (all P Conclusions Between 2010 and 2013, a significant 20 to 30 % reduction was observed in medians and reference levels (Q3) for main RP parameters, including DAP, total Air Kerma, and number of registered frames, in diagnostic and interventional coronary procedures.