Radiation protection for the interventional cardiologist: Practical approach and innovations

Figure 1 Radiation protection in the catheterization lab should be based on four principles. Time: radiation dose depends linearly on the exposure time. Distance: The amount of radiation exposure depends on the distance from the source proportionally to the inverse of the distance squared from the X-ray source, so staff can lower their exposure levels by a factor of four by doubling their distance from the source. Shielding: barriers of lead protection can be accomplished with different forms such as personal protective equipment or mobile shields. The greater the shielding around the source, the smaller the exposure. Education: training and education in radiation protection is one of the basic components of radiation protection programs.