Abstract 236: Evaluation Of The Radiation Safety And Protection Practices At The Cardiac Catheterization Unit Of The Cairo University Hospital.

Introduction: Cardiac Catheterization laboratories are one of the most hazardous places to work in. The aim of this study is to evaluate the radiation safety in the cardiac catheterization unit at the Cairo University Hospital in Egypt.

Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the employees of the Cath labs are overexposed to radiation.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational descriptive study at two Cath labs at the Cairo University Hospital in 2019. The participants were nine cardiologists, six nurses, three technicians, and seven hundred patients. The study was conducted over seven months in three phases. Phase I (Thre months), we measured the real-life radiation exposure for the participants in the Cath lab of our department. Phase II (Four weeks), educational lectures about radioprotection and the hazards of radiation exposure were given. Phase III (Three months) The operators were motivated to use maximally the radiation protection shields that are fixed to the table and the ceiling, and radiation doses were re-meausred.

Results: The total cumulative radiation doses in Phase I ranged from 2.7mSv to 6.5mSv (mean=4.29±1.26), 0.5mSv to 5.5mSv (mean=2.7±1.7), and 0.7 mSv to 4 mSv (mean=2.9±1.9), while in Phase III ranged from 2.1mSv to 5.5 mSv (mean=3.48±1.26), 0.6 mSv to 4.8 mSv (mean=2.4±1.5), and 0.8 mSv to 5.8 mSv (mean=4±2.8); for the cardiologists, the nurses and the technicians respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the two phases in the mean total cumulative radiation doses received by the cardiologists (P value=0.013), and the mean total dose area product for the patients (P value= <0.001).

Conclusion: The staff compliance with radiation protection standards during cardiac catheterization was insufficient. However, the exposure to radiation to the operators and the patients was significantly lowered after we educated the staff and applied out the methods of radiation protection. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first study to clarify the role of radiation protection on reducing the received radiation doses by the working personnel and patients in the region of Africa. The challenges we faced were huge to introduce then implement the basics of radiation safety and protection practices in our hospital.