Table 1 Standard reference doses of common cardiological examinations
From: The Radiation Issue in Cardiology: the time for action is now
Diagnostic procedures, ref. | Effective dose (mSv) | Equivalent nmber of PA chest radiographs (each 0.02 mSv) | Approximate equivalent period of natural background radiation (years) |
|---|---|---|---|
CONVENTIONAL RADIOGRAPHY | Â | Â | Â |
Chest x-ray (PA), 13 | 0.02 | 1 | 0.008 |
INVASIVE RADIOLOGY | Â | Â | Â |
Diagnostic coronary angiography, 13 | 7 (2-16) | 350 (100-800) | 2.9 |
PCI, 13 | 15 ( 7-57) | 750 (350-2800) | 6.3 |
Cardiac radiofrequency ablation, 13 | 15 (7-57) | 750 (350-2800) | 6.3 |
Dilation chronic coronary occlusion, 23 | 81 (17-194) | 4050 (850-9600) | 33.7 |
Head and/or neck angiography, 20 | 5 (1-20) | 250 | 2.1 |
Thoracic angiography of pulmonary artery or aorta, 20 | 5 (4-9) | 250 | 2.1 |
Abdominal angiography or aortography, 20 | 12 (4-48) | 600 | 5.0 |
Aortic valvuloplasty, 24 | 39 | 1950 | 16.2 |
Endovascular thoraco-abdominal aneurysm repair procedures, 24 | 76-119 | 3800-5950 | 31.6-49.5 |
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY | Â | Â | Â |
64-slice coronary CTA, 13 | 15 (3-32) | 750 (150-1600) | 6.3 |
Coronary calcium CT,13 | 3 (1-12) | 150 (50-600) | 1.2 |
NUCLEAR CARDIOLOGY | Â | Â | Â |
PET F-18 FDG (viability), 13 | 14 | 700 | 5.8 |
Thallium stress/rest reinjection, 13 | 41 | 2050 | 17 |
Sestamibi (1 day) stress-rest, 13 | 9 | 450 | 3.7 |
Rubidium-82, 13 | 5 | 250 | 2.1 |
N-13 ammonia stress-rest, 22 | 3 | 150 | 1.25 |