[Radiation protection provided by tungsten bismuth caps during interventional cardiology].

Background: The effectiveness against radiation of tungsten bismuth caps, used in interventional cardiology is not well known.

Aim: To determine the degree of radiation protection conferred by these caps in real work conditions.

Material And Methods: We compared the gross electric charges received at brain lobe levels by three occupationally exposed professionals who participated in 22 consecutive procedures, inside and outside of the tungsten bismuth cap.

Results: The median electric charges outside and inside the cap were 3.71 (range 1.46-5.62) and 2.2 (range 1.29-3.93) nC, which correspond to a 40% radiation attenuation. However, the protection was heterogeneous.

Conclusions: Tungsten bismuth caps provide an adequate attenuation, but its degree is heterogeneous.