Optimization of Radiation Protection in Pediatric Interventional Radiology in Latin America and the Caribbean: Development, Advancements, Challenges and Achievements of the OPRIPALC Program.

This article presents the development, advancements, challenges and achievements of the "Optimization of Protection in Pediatric Interventional Radiology in Latin America and the Caribbean" (OPRIPALC) program. This international initiative is led by the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The main objectives of OPRIPALC are to foster a culture of radiological protection in pediatric interventions, enhance these procedures' quality, and define optimization strategies such as the use of diagnostic reference levels (DRLs). Currently, 33 centers from 12 countries participate actively in the program. Significant progress has been made towards the proposed objectives, overcoming the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through many virtual meetings for coordination, planning, training and follow-up, a comprehensive set of DRLs for both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, categorized by weight and age, have been established and are in use. A consensus document on good practices is in the final stage of development. The program's continuation into at least a second phase is essential to address pending issues, including the integration of automatic dose management systems, the levels of occupational radiation doses, their correlation with pediatric patient doses, and strategies to reduce them.

Optimización de la protección en radiología y cardiología intervencionista pediatrica en América Latina y el Caribe (OPRIPALC) / Optimization of protection in pediatric interventional cardiology and radiology in Latin America and the Caribbean (OPRIPALC)

El objetivo del presente artículo ha sido describir el programa "Optimización de la Protección en Radiología Intervencionista Pediátrica en América Latina y el Caribe" (OPRIPALC) que nace el año 2018 como respuesta conjunta de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud y la Organización Mundial de la Salud, en cooperación con el Organismo Internacional de Energía Atómica, para colaborar con sus Estados miembros en asegurar que las exposiciones a la radiación de los pacientes pediátricos sean las mínimas necesarias durante los procedimientos intervencionistas. Actualmente, hay 18 centros de los siguientes 10 países que participan: Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, México, Perú y Uruguay. Para el desarrollo del programa se plantean una serie de objetivos, productos, actividades y resultados esperados. La puesta en marcha de la WEB de OPRIPALC ha significado un instrumento muy válido para seguir la información actualizada del programa. Un programa actualizado de formación en radioprotección para los profesionales implicados en el programa, se está realizando por medio de "webinars". Se deberá seguir actuando en la aplicación del programa de control de calidad básico para los equipos de rayos X participantes y validar los valores de los Niveles de Referencia para Diagnóstico (NRDs). Se propone formar un equipo de trabajo entre los Físicos Médicos y Tecnólogos Médicos participantes de OPRIPALC para implicarse en las pruebas de control básicas que todos los centros debieran realizar. Se han presentado algunos resultados iniciales de OPRIPALC en eventos científicos internacionales. Se está avanzando en proponer unos primeros valores sobre NRDs en procedimientos de intervencionismo cardiológico pediátrico por bandas de edad y peso. OPRIPALC es una de las pocas iniciativas de carácter regional para obtener valores de NRDs en procedimientos intervencionistas pediátricos. Se espera que tanto los valores de referencia como la metodología empleada en OPRIPALC, puedan ser utilizados en otras regiones del mundo.

The objective of this article has been to describe the program "Optimization of Protection in Pediatric Interventional Radiology in Latin America and the Caribbean" (OPRIPALC) that was born in 2018 as a joint response of the Pan American Health Organization and the World Organization of the Health, in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, to collaborate with its member states in ensuring that radiation exposures of pediatric patients are the minimum necessary during interventional procedures. Currently, there are 18 centers from the following 10 countries participating: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. For the development of the program, a series of objectives, products, activities and expected results are proposed. The launch of the OPRIPALC WEBSITE has been a very valid instrument for following up-to-date information on the program. An updated training program in radiation protection for the professionals involved in the program is being carried out through webinars. It should continue acting in the application of the basic quality control program for the participating X-ray equipment and validate the values of the Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs). It is proposed to form a work team among the OPRIPALC participating medical physicists to get involved in the basic control tests that all centers should carry out. Some initial results of OPRIPALC have been presented at international scientific events. Progress is being made in proposing first values on DRLs in pediatric cardiac intervention procedures by age and weight bands. OPRIPALC is one of the few regional initiatives to obtain DRLs values in pediatric interventional procedures. It is expected that both the reference values and the methodology used in OPRIPALC can be used in other regions of the world.

Latin American dose survey results in mammography studies under IAEA programme: radiological protection of patients in medical exposures (TSA3).

Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela) working under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Technical Cooperation Programme: TSA3 Radiological Protection of Patients in Medical Exposures have joined efforts in the optimisation of radiation protection in mammography practice. Through surveys of patient doses, the region has a unique database of diagnostic reference levels for analogue and digital equipment that will direct future optimisation activities towards the early detection of breast cancer among asymptomatic women. During RLA9/057 (2007-09) 24 institutions participated with analogue equipment in a dose survey. Regional training on methodology and measurement equipment was addressed in May 2007. The mean glandular dose (DG) was estimated using the incident kerma in air and relevant conversion coefficients for both projections craneo caudal and mediolateral oblique (CC and MLO). For Phase 2, RLA9/067 (2010-11), it was decided to include also digital systems in order to see their impact in future dose optimisation activities. Any new country that joined the project received training in the activities through IAEA expert missions. Twenty-nine new institutions participated (9 analogue and 20 digital equipment). A total of 2262 patient doses were collected during this study and from them D(G) (mGy) for both projections were estimated for each institution and country. Regional results (75 percentile in mGy) show for CC and MLO views, respectively: RLA9/057 (analogue) 2.63 and 3.17; RLA/067: 2.57 and 3.15 (analogue) and 2.69 and 2.90 (digital). Regarding only digital equipment for CC and MLO, respectively, computed radiography systems showed 2.59 and 2.78 and direct digital radiography (DDR) systems 2.78 and 3.04. Based on the IAEA Basic Safety Standard (BSS) reference dose (3 mGy), it can be observed that there is enough room to start optimisation processes in Latin America (LA); several countries or even particular institutions have values much higher than the 3 mGy. The main issues to address are lack of well-established quality assurance programmes for mammography, not enough medical physicists with training in mammography, an increase in patient doses with the introduction of digital equipment and to create awareness on radiation risk and optimisation strategies.

[Analysis of radiation exposure to medical staff and patients during ERCP in Uruguay]. / Evaluación de la radiación recibida por personal y pacientes durante la CPRE en el Uruguay.

BACKGROUND: The ERCP procedure requires the use of fluoroscopy with the subsequent exposure to ionizing radiation. The doses received by patients, physicians and assistants in the endoscopy have never been recorded in our area. This analysis describes the findings of the MIRED_Uy study (measuring radiation in digestive endoscopy in Uruguay). Objective. To determine radiation exposure received by patients, physicians and assistants during ERCP. METHODS: Data were collected from 33 procedures conducted by four endoscopists, supported by endoscopy assistants. All staff took basic radiation-protection measures. The magnitudes measured were the kerma area product (KAP) for the patient and the effective dose (E) and the equivalent doses in hand (HM) and lens of the eyes (HC) for the operators. RESULTS: Mean value for PKA was 24 Gy.cm2 (range: 0.04-71) equivalent to 312 chest x-rays. The mean fluoroscopy time was 2.3 minutes (range: 0.45 a 5.70 minutes). The E mean per procedure was 3.69, 5.14 y 3.69 muSv, for physician, first and second assistant respectively. The dose in hand for the physician was 19.4 muSv and the dose in lens was 7.94 muSv. CONCLUSIONS: The first results of measuring ERCP radiation doses in Uruguay are presented These procedures expose the patient and staff to measurable radiation doses, which should be taken into account to minimize their risks.

Evaluación de la radiación recibida por personal y pacientes durante la CPRE en el Uruguay / [Analysis of radiation exposure to medical staff and patients during ERCP in Uruguay].

BACKGROUND: The ERCP procedure requires the use of fluoroscopy with the subsequent exposure to ionizing radiation. The doses received by patients, physicians and assistants in the endoscopy have never been recorded in our area. This analysis describes the findings of the MIRED_Uy study (measuring radiation in digestive endoscopy in Uruguay). Objective. To determine radiation exposure received by patients, physicians and assistants during ERCP. METHODS: Data were collected from 33 procedures conducted by four endoscopists, supported by endoscopy assistants. All staff took basic radiation-protection measures. The magnitudes measured were the kerma area product (KAP) for the patient and the effective dose (E) and the equivalent doses in hand (HM) and lens of the eyes (HC) for the operators. RESULTS: Mean value for PKA was 24 Gy.cm2 (range: 0.04-71) equivalent to 312 chest x-rays. The mean fluoroscopy time was 2.3 minutes (range: 0.45 a 5.70 minutes). The E mean per procedure was 3.69, 5.14 y 3.69 muSv, for physician, first and second assistant respectively. The dose in hand for the physician was 19.4 muSv and the dose in lens was 7.94 muSv. CONCLUSIONS: The first results of measuring ERCP radiation doses in Uruguay are presented These procedures expose the patient and staff to measurable radiation doses, which should be taken into account to minimize their risks.

Evaluación de la radiación recibida por personal y pacientes durante la CPRE en el Uruguay. / [Analysis of radiation exposure to medical staff and patients during ERCP in Uruguay].

BACKGROUND: The ERCP procedure requires the use of fluoroscopy with the subsequent exposure to ionizing radiation. The doses received by patients, physicians and assistants in the endoscopy have never been recorded in our area. This analysis describes the findings of the MIRED_Uy study (measuring radiation in digestive endoscopy in Uruguay). Objective. To determine radiation exposure received by patients, physicians and assistants during ERCP. METHODS: Data were collected from 33 procedures conducted by four endoscopists, supported by endoscopy assistants. All staff took basic radiation-protection measures. The magnitudes measured were the kerma area product (KAP) for the patient and the effective dose (E) and the equivalent doses in hand (HM) and lens of the eyes (HC) for the operators. RESULTS: Mean value for PKA was 24 Gy.cm2 (range: 0.04-71) equivalent to 312 chest x-rays. The mean fluoroscopy time was 2.3 minutes (range: 0.45 a 5.70 minutes). The E mean per procedure was 3.69, 5.14 y 3.69 muSv, for physician, first and second assistant respectively. The dose in hand for the physician was 19.4 muSv and the dose in lens was 7.94 muSv. CONCLUSIONS: The first results of measuring ERCP radiation doses in Uruguay are presented These procedures expose the patient and staff to measurable radiation doses, which should be taken into account to minimize their risks.

Determination of diagnostic reference levels in general radiography in Latin America.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through the International Action Plan on Radiation Protection of Patients and the International Commission on Radiological Protection have for some time carried out important efforts to assure that in the medical applications of the ionising radiations, the optimisation of radiological protection of patients is fundamental, to such a point that the IAEA includes it directly as a requirement for these practices (in its International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionising Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS)-GSR Part 1, 2011). For this reason, among the objectives of Regional Project RLA/9/057 and Regional Project RLA/9/067, the intention was to establish the dose references in conventional radiology for Latin America, for the purposes of determining whether these doses comply with the requirements of the BSS and to tend to improve practices, in order to minimise the dose received by the patients.

Volume computed tomography air kerma index and image quality evaluation in Brazil.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the image quality of 29 computed tomography (CT) scanners in Brazil and to perform estimations of patient dose and image quality of common CT examinations at these equipment. The volume CT air kerma indexes (C(VOL)) were estimated, using normalised weighted air kerma indexes, supplied by the ImPACT group. The image quality tests were performed using the phantom and accreditation protocol from the American College of Radiology (ACR). The C(VOL) values for head scans varied between 8.7 and 108 mGy. The Hi-res chest examinations presented C(VOL) values varying from 0.4 to 32 mGy. For abdominal scans, the estimated C(VOL) values varied between 4.1 and 94 mGy. This wide variation of air kerma between different centres is related to the scanner type and also to the scanning parameters. The results also showed that the image quality did not attend all ACR CT accreditation requirements.

Radiation protection in pediatric interventional cardiology: An IAEA PILOT program in Latin America.

The aim of this work is to present a methodology and some initial results for a pilot program on radiation protection (RP) in pediatric interventional cardiology under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The starting point of the program was a workshop involving several pediatric cardiologists leading this specialty in 11 Latin American countries. The workshop included a pilot RP training course and additional sessions during which the objectives of the program and the methodology to collect and process data on patient and staff radiation doses were discussed. Special attention was dedicated to agree on a common quality control (QC) protocol for the x-ray and imaging systems used in the different catheterization laboratories. The preliminary data showed that only 64% of the cardiologists used their personal dosimeters regularly and that only 36% were aware of their personal dose values. The data on pediatric interventional activity were collected from 10 centers from nine different countries. A total of 2,429 procedures (50% diagnostic and 50% therapeutic) were carried out during 2009 in these centers. Patient dose data were available in only a few centers and were not analyzed on a regular basis in any of the catheterization laboratories involved. Plans were developed for a basic QC protocol of the x-ray systems and construction of a Latin American database on pediatric cardiology with patient and staff dose values with the idea in mind of obtaining distributions of these dose values before promoting several optimization strategies.