Interventional radiologists, other docs release new tool kit for limiting radiation exposure

Radiologists and other physicians released a new tool kit Wednesday, aimed at helping limit radiation exposure in interventional care. 

Nine medical societies taking part in the ALARA (As Low and as Light as Reasonably Achievable) Coalition collaborated to create the new suite of resources. Their goal is to push policymakers, hospital leadership and others to enhance occupational safety for staffers utilizing fluoroscopic imaging. 

The kit comes after the same societies in July demanded “urgent” radiation protection measures to safeguard IR staffers. Those taking part in the ALARA Coalition include the Society of Interventional Radiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions. 

SIR on Aug. 5 urged the IR community to use these resources to assess gaps and take action. 

“Interventional radiologists and our care teams depend on fluoroscopy to deliver minimally invasive, lifesaving treatments, but that work should not come at the expense of our long-term health,” Saher S. Sabri, MD, president of SIR, said in a statement. “The ALARA Coalition tool kit gives hospitals, clinicians and policymakers practical steps to strengthen radiation safety, reduce orthopedic risk and make angio suites safer.”

IR specialists said these recommendations come in response to a “growing occupational health crisis.” Their goal is to move “beyond reducing harm” by building safety into the workplace, equipment, and standards of care. SIR said the guidelines offer practical steps to protect IR team members from radiation exposure and orthopedic injuries. 

The materials include a Radiation Safety Foundations tool kit, which provides training on the fundamentals of protection in the fluoroscopy lab, along with evidence behind the ALARA guidelines. A second ERPD (enhanced radiation protection device technologies) implementation tool kit explores safety measures and practical guidance on them. A third focuses on economics and business concerns, including the return on investment for radiation protection, while the fourth explores advocacy, including resources for speaking to lawmakers. 

SIR et al. said these materials build on a recent multisociety consensus statement relating to radiation protection in fluoroscopy. The societies are calling on healthcare institutions, device manufacturers, regulators and fellow trade groups to share the responsibility in striving for radiation and occupational safety. 

A recent Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions survey found that nearly 60% of respondents reported orthopedic injuries related to protective lead. About 1 in 5 had reduced their caseload or taken medical leave due to injury or radiation concerns. Among female respondents, about 28% had been discouraged from working in fluoroscopy facilities because of pregnancy-related concerns. 

“The cath lab should be a workplace where clinicians can build a full career without sacrificing their health and where the next generation sees a future worth choosing,” SCAI President J. Dawn Abbott, MD, said in a statement. “Trainees are watching mentors leave the field with injuries and illness, and too many are choosing other specialties as a result.” 

Along with SIR and SCAI, others endorsing the guidelines include the American College of Cardiology, Alliance for Cardiovascular Professionals, American Society of Echocardiography, Heart Rhythm Society, Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery, Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology, and the Society for Vascular Surgery.