Typical values for paediatric patients undergoing interventional cardiology procedures in Peru

Ubeda C.A.; Zapata J.E.; Mondonedo R.D.; Alva-Sanchez M.S.; Yagui A.; Schelin H.R.; Donoso-Aguirre S.A. · Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection (2025) · DOI: 10.2298/ntrp2503239u

Resumen

Fluoroscopy-guided interventional procedures may result in significant radiation exposure, raising particular concern in paediatric patients due to their higher radiosensitivity and longer life expectancy. Diagnostic reference levels and typical values are recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection to support optimisation of patient dose management. Within the Optimization of Protection in Pediatric Interventional Radiology in Latin America and the Caribbean initiative, this study aimed to establish the first typical values for paediatric interventional cardiology in Peru. A retrospective observational study was performed over 20 months (2023-2024) in a tertiary hospital. Data from 263 paediatric patients undergoing diagnostic (n = 88) and therapeutic (n = 175) cardiac procedures were analysed. Radiation indicators included kerma area-product Pka, cumulative air kerma Ka,r, and fluoroscopy time. Typical values were expressed as medians and 75th percentile, following international guidelines. The overall median Pka was 4.6 Gycm2, Ka,r 55.3 mGy, and fluoroscopy time 14.8 minutes. Diagnostic procedures presented higher median Pka (6.5 Gycm2) than therapeutics (3.3 Gycm2), reflecting greater complexity. Age and weight groups showed increasing trends, consistent with published literature. These results provide the first Peruvian typical values for paediatric interventional cardiology, supporting optimisation and reinforcing the need for multicentre studies to establish national diagnostic reference levels.