Anesthesiologist radiation exposure

[xtina0]

Hi all !

I'm a new anesthesia attending and was in IR working on an emergent patient with a stroke. I had to draw serial ABG's. The IR doc didn't care that my head was right by the C-arm and he proceeded to shoot. I quickly backed away but noticed that my head was tingling !!!! Do you guys think I got a massive dose of radiation? Should I be worried? Why was my head tingling ???

Of course now I will be more vigilant and make other colleagues aware that I am by the scanner...if they care :/

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[Radology]

Omg you got exposed to low dose fluoroscopy? Your head tingling was a sign of immediate growth of bilateral GBMs. Prepare for your skin to fall off and your GI lining to slough a la Chernobyl, just like every other patient in the history of medical imaging who has received a sub- diagnostic dose of poison-radiation

 

[GoPelicans]

As far as radiation exposure you will be fine. I can't tell you why your head is tingling.

 

[xtina0]

haha thanks guys that's what I thought. Just was super weird feeling, another colleague of mine had a similar experience with their hand tingling while being near the scanner.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

Get some radiation protective eyewear if you want to be super-cautious and protective of your more radiation-sensitive parts (i.e. the lenses in your eyes).

I got myself a pair of leaded prescription glasses for all the fluoro I was doing.

 

[deleted950463]

Honestly the only thing that’s probably worth worrying about is radiation induced cataract.

Although it’s common courtesy to announce “DSA/doing a run please stand back” during subtraction angiography.

Either your doc is concentrating/in a tough spot or doesn’t seem to know the courtsey rule.

 

[Radology]

there is a 0.0000% chance he has a risk of a cataract from a single exposure near the field of imaging. And it sounds like he was not in the field, so he only got scatter.

Even the patient whose eyeballs were being radiated for an hour likely only barely crossed the very conservative dose threshold Of 20 Msv for cataract

 

[deleted950463]

there is a 0.0000% chance he has a risk of a cataract from a single exposure near the field of imaging. And it sounds like he was not in the field, so he only got scatter.

Even the patient whose eyeballs were being radiated for an hour likely only barely crossed the very conservative dose threshold Of 20 Msv for cataract

I meant for chronic fluro exposure. One time is no big deal

 

[SeisK]

there is a 0.0000% chance he has a risk of a cataract from a single exposure near the field of imaging. And it sounds like he was not in the field, so he only got scatter.

Even the patient whose eyeballs were being radiated for an hour likely only barely crossed the very conservative dose threshold Of 20 Msv for cataract

MegaSievert. Yowza.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

there is a 0.0000% chance he has a risk of a cataract from a single exposure near the field of imaging. And it sounds like he was not in the field, so he only got scatter.

Even the patient whose eyeballs were being radiated for an hour likely only barely crossed the very conservative dose threshold Of 20 Msv for cataract

I don't know how many fluoro-guided surgeries and procedures OP will be in. I do agree that the scatter radiation will be much less and if OP is far enough from the radiation source, by virtue of the inverse square law, her radiation exposure will exponentially decreased when compared to the primary operators.

Radiation safety glasses may give her a little more peace of mind though.

MegaSievert. Yowza.

I sure hope we're not using gamma ray bursts from a supernova as a radiation source.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Anesthesia usually is mandated to wear radiation badges, at least at good programs. It's an occupational hazard. Fluro jockeys, Ortho, Gen Surg, Cards, and even IR, have a tendency to step on the pedal, unannounced. Usually when you are doing something and have your back turned, with your lead apron open in the back, zapping your gonads. This is in poor form, but happens frequently. I would recommend wearing a full skirt apron, and telling whoever is standing on the fluro pedal to call their shots!