Simple preoperative radiation safety interventions significantly lower radiation doses during central venous line placement in children
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Topic overview
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to reduce radiation exposure during pediatric central venous line (CVL) placement by implementing a radiation safety process including a radiation safety briefing and a job-instruction model with a preradiation time-out.
Methods
We reviewed records of all patients under 21 who underwent CVL placement in the operating room covering 22 months before the intervention through 10 months after 2013–2016. The intervention consisted of a radiation safety briefing by the surgeon to the intraoperative staff before each case and a radiation safety time-out. We measured and analyzed the dose area product (DAP), total radiation time pre- and postintervention, and the use of postprocedural chest radiograph.
Results
100 patients with valid DAP measurements were identified for analysis (59 preintervention, 41 postintervention). Following implementation of the radiation safety process, there was a 79% decrease in median DAP (61.4 vs 13.1 rad*cm2, P
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