Effective and organ doses in patient undergoing interventional neuroradiology procedures: A multicentre study.

PURPOSE: Radiation doses to adult patients submitted to cerebral angiography and intracranial aneurysms treatments were assessed by using DICOM Radiation Dose Structured Reports (RDSR) and Monte Carlo simulations. Conversion factors to estimate effective and organ doses from Kerma-Area Product (PKA) values were determined. METHODS: 77 cerebral procedures performed with five angiographic equipment installed in three Italian centres were analyzed. Local settings and acquisition protocols were considered. The geometrical, technical and dosimetric data of 16,244 irradiation events (13305 fluoroscopy, 2811 digital subtraction angiography, 128 cone-beam CT) were extracted from RDSRs by local dose monitoring systems and were input in MonteCarlo PCXMC software to calculate effective and organ doses. Finally, conversion factors to determine effective and organ doses from PKA were determined. Differences between centres were assessed through statistical analysis and accuracy of dose calculation method based on conversion factors was assessed through Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: Large variations in PKA (14-561 Gycm2) and effective dose (1.2-73.5 mSv) were observed due to different degrees of complexity in the procedures and angiographic system technology. The most exposed organs were brain, salivary glands, oral mucosa, thyroid and skeleton. The study highlights the importance of recent technology in reducing patient exposure (about fourfold, even more in DSA). No statistically significant difference was observed in conversion factors between centres, except for some organs. A conversion factor of 0.09 ± 0.02 mSv/Gycm2 was obtained for effective dose. CONCLUSIONS: Organ and effective doses were assessed for neuro-interventional procedures. Conversion factors for calculating effective and organ doses from PKA were provided.

Innovation in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients over 80 y/o-A Retrospective Monocentric Study on Mechanical Thrombectomy of Consecutive Patients: Is Age an Adequate Selection Criterion?

BACKGROUND: Although it is clear that stroke is a time-dependent and age-associated disease, we still need more evidence regarding the efficacy and outcomes in elderly patients who were excluded from the first trials of mechanical thrombectomy. The aim of this study is to highlight patient characteristics, the timing of medical attention and therapy, successful recanalization, and functional outcomes in patients over 80 y/o who underwent mechanical thrombectomy at the Ospedale Maggiore della Carità di Novara (Hub) since endovascular stroke treatment was first started here. METHODS: all 122 consecutive patients over 80 y/o at admission who underwent mechanical thrombectomy between 2017 and 2022 at our Hub center were retrospectively included in our database. A good functional outcome in these elderly patients was considered as the 90 days modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤ 3 and/or a decrease in functional status as ∆mRS ≤ 1 in order to interpret the results for patients with intact intellect and basal mRS > 3. Successful recanalization as a score of TICI ≥ 2b (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction) was analyzed as a secondary outcome. RESULTS: Good functional outcome (mRS ≤ 3 and/or ∆mRS ≤ 1) was observed in 45.90% (56/122). The rate of successful recanalization (TICI ≥ 2b) was 65.57% (80/122). CONCLUSION: Our data confirm that a good outcome in the elderly age group has a correlation with age; being younger, with a milder NIHSS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) at the onset and with a lower pre-morbid mRS is statistically associated with a better outcome. However, age should not be a criterion to exclude older patients from mechanical thrombectomy. Decision-making should take into consideration the pre-morbid mRS and the severity of the stroke on the NIHSS scale, especially in the age group over 85 y/o.

Conversion factors for effective dose and organ doses with the air Kerma area product in hysterosalpingography.

Histerosalpingography (HSG) remains the dominant diagnostic tool for investigation of infertility in women. Conversion factors used to estimate effective (E) and organ doses (HT) from air Kerma area product (KAP) are needed to estimate patient doses in HSG, performed with state-of-the-art fluoroscopic X-ray systems with digital detectors. In this study, estimates of E and HT for six critical organs/tissues, were derived on an individual basis in 120 HSG procedures and in 1410 irradiation events, performed on two X-ray systems from information available through the radiation dose structured report using Monte Carlo methods. Mean values of E and Hovaries were1.0 ± 0.9 mSv and 5.6 ± 5.4 mGy. E/KAP conversion factors of 0.13; 0.18; 0.28 and 0.35 mSv Gy-1cm-2 were established for irradiation events with a Cu filtration of 0.0; 0.1; 0.4 and 0.9 mm. A high agreement was obtained between E estimated through Monte Carlo methods and E/KAP conversion factors accounting separately for the different modes of fluoroscopy and the radiography component of HSG, with a systematic error of 0 mSv and lower/upper limits of agreement of -0.6 and 0.5 mSv. On the contrary, the use of a single coefficient of conversion did not provide accurate estimates of E, showing a bias of -0.4 mSv and lower and upper limits of agreement of -1.9 and 1.2 mSv. An algorithm for the estimation of effective and organ doses from KAP has been established in HSG procedures depending on the Cu filtration in the X-ray irradiation events.

Observational study on healthcare workers protection in the angiographic suite during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: before and during vax era.

BACKGROUND: Since the first case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Italy, all the hospital facilities had to reform their daily activities. Amidst them, the Interventional Radiology Department in the "Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria" of Novara (Italy) had to create a dedicated protocol for the patent's management during the pandemic. DESIGN AND METHODS: The time interval between February 2020 and March 2021 was divided into three different periods and we reported the evolution of our safety protocol, the changes in our daily activities and the rates of Sars-CoV-2 infection among the healthcare workers (HCW) of the Angiographic Suite. Personnel who had positive partners/family members or who had established close contacts of another nature outside the workplace were excluded from the study, in order to reduce any bias. RESULTS: A total of 35 HCWs served in 355 patient procedures on Sars-CoV-2 positive patients from February 2020 to March 2021. During the year there was a reduction in the morbidity rate first from 7.9% to 1.4% and then currently reaching 0%. CONCLUSIONS: Dedicated routes, elevators, establishing Filter Areas and a clear demarcation between clean and contaminated areas, Dressing and undressing procedures, Cleaning procedures and the obligation to always wear a surgical mask during the working shift are essential to prevent in-hospital infection. The vaccines' arrival seems to further reduce the risk for healthcare workers, but it is still necessary to take docile precautions in view of the new mutations of the virus.

Intracranial Carotid Artery Aneurysm Treatment: First Reported Case of DERIVO®Flow-Diverter Placement by Direct Carotid Artery Puncture.

Brain health may be threatened by aneurysm ruptures, and early recognition of these vascular malformations allows for neuroradiological intervention. Neurointerventional procedures are usually performed with femoral artery access. In patients with severe anatomical complexity of the supra-aortic vessels, however, treatment by this approach could be hindered or impossible. Flow-diverter stent deployment is an effective and safe treatment for large, wide necked intracranial aneurysms, but it requires a complete and firm stability of the coaxial system to achieve a correct and precise deployment of the device. We present the first reported Italian case of a patient with an intracranial aneurysm which was treated with Flow-diverter stent (DERIVO®; AcandisGmbH & Co. KG; Pforzheim; Germany) by direct common carotid artery puncture due to severe tortuosity of supra-aortic trunks.

Mechanical Thrombectomy by a Direct Aspiration First Pass Technique (ADAPT) in Ischemic Stroke: Results of Monocentric Study Based on Multimodal CT Patient Selection.

INTRODUCTION: Mechanical thrombectomy with ADAP-technique of ischemic stroke has been reported as fast and effective. Aim of this study is to evaluate imaging criteria as possible predictors of stroke severity, therapeutic success, and outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients (30) presenting from October 2015 to April 2017 with Emergent Large Vessel Occlusion of the anterior circulation were treated with ADAP-technique. 22 received also IV tPA; 8 underwent endovascular treatment only. Every patient was evaluated with noncontrast CT, multiphase angiography-CT, and perfusion CT. Clinical and radiological characteristics were measured. Good clinical outcome was an improvement of 8 points on NIHSS at discharge or a modified Rankin Scale ≤2 at discharge and at 90 days. RESULTS: Successful revascularization was obtained in 57% of patients, no procedural complications were witnessed, and only two hemorrhages were reported. Good outcome at discharge was obtained in 11 patients (37%) and predicted by NCCT ASPECT and TICI; outcome at 90 days was predicted by NCCT ASPECT, clot length, and premorbid mRS. Mortality was 23% at discharge and 30% at 90 days. CONCLUSION: ADAPT is an effective endovascular method of stroke treatment with fast procedural times. Multimodal CT evaluation is effective in assessing stroke severity, providing important prognostic information, which is able to select patients for the appropriate treatment.