Radiation exposure to patients during interventional procedures in 20 countries: initial IAEA project results.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to investigate the level of radiation protection of patients and staff during interventional procedures in 20 countries of Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Subjects And Methods: In a multinational prospective study, information on radiation protection tools, peak skin dose (PSD), and kerma-area product (KAP) was provided by 55 hospitals in 20 mainly developing countries (nine mostly in Eastern Europe, five in Africa, and six in Asia).

Results: Nearly 40% of the interventional rooms had an annual workload of more than 2,000 patients.