Radiation exposure to staff during fluoroscopic endoscopic procedures

OBJECTIVES: Fluoroscopically guided procedures utilize ionizing radiation to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of the patient. The use of ionizing radiation is not without risk to the operator and other staff members present during endoscopic procedures. This study simulates radiation exposure during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography procedures under different shielded conditions and provides practical radiation safety recommendations, through easy‐to‐use visual guides. METHODS: We obtained radiation exposure measurements at varying locations with different shielding setups surrounding a mobile C‐arm fluoroscopic unit while imaging a patient equivalent phantom at different heights. Heat maps were generated for the various conditions to provide visual guides for radiation protection. RESULTS: Different heat maps detailing various shielding methods have been generated to assist in determining the dose rate at varying locations surrounding the patient. The use of appropriate radiation protection could decrease the staff dose by up to 98%. CONCLUSION: Although minor per procedure, the magnitude of radiation exposure will accumulate over the staff's working life. As such, it is recommended that precautions be taken during fluoroscopically guided endoscopy procedures to ensure radiation is kept as low as reasonably achievable.