Search

Your search keyword '"Pascual, Tnb"' showing total 10 results
Start Over Author "Pascual, Tnb" Publication Type Electronic Resources
10 results on '"Pascual, Tnb"'

1. The Impact of COVID-19 on Diagnosis of Heart Disease in Latin America an INCAPS COVID Sub-analysis

Author

Cerci, RJ, Vitola, JV, Paez, D, Zuluaga, A, Bittencourt, MS, Sierra-Galan, LM, Carrascosa, P, Campisi, R, Gutierrez-Villamil, C, Peix, A, Chambers, D, Velez, MS, Alvarado, CMG, Ventura, ACF, Maldonado, A, Castanos, AP, Diaz, TC, Herrera, Y, Vasquez, MC, Arrieta, AA, Mut, F, Hirschfeld, C, Malkovskiy, E, Goebel, B, Cohen, Y, Randazzo, M, Shaw, LJ, Williams, MC, Villines, TC, Better, N, Dorbala, S, Raggi, P, Pascual, TNB, Pynda, Y, Dondi, M, Einstein, AJ, Cerci, RJ, Vitola, JV, Paez, D, Zuluaga, A, Bittencourt, MS, Sierra-Galan, LM, Carrascosa, P, Campisi, R, Gutierrez-Villamil, C, Peix, A, Chambers, D, Velez, MS, Alvarado, CMG, Ventura, ACF, Maldonado, A, Castanos, AP, Diaz, TC, Herrera, Y, Vasquez, MC, Arrieta, AA, Mut, F, Hirschfeld, C, Malkovskiy, E, Goebel, B, Cohen, Y, Randazzo, M, Shaw, LJ, Williams, MC, Villines, TC, Better, N, Dorbala, S, Raggi, P, Pascual, TNB, Pynda, Y, Dondi, M, and Einstein, AJ

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery of care for cardiovascular diseases in Latin America. However, the effect of the pandemic on the cardiac diagnostic procedure volumes has not been quantified. OBJECTIVE: To assess (1) the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac diagnostic volumes in Latin America and (2) determine its relationship with COVID-19 case incidence and social distancing measures. METHODS: The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing changes in cardiac diagnostic volumes resulting from COVID-19. Cardiac diagnostic volumes were obtained from participating sites for March and April 2020 and compared to March 2019. Social distancing data were collected from Google COVID-19 community mobility reports and COVID-19 incidence per country from the Our World in Data. RESULTS: Surveys were conducted in 194 centers performing cardiac diagnostic procedures, in 19 countries in Latin America. Procedure volumes decreased 36% from March 2019 to March 2020, and 82% from March 2019 to April 2020. The greatest decreases occurred in echocardiogram stress tests (91%), exercise treadmill tests (88%), and computed tomography calcium scores (87%), with slight variations between sub-regions of Latin America. Changes in social distancing patterns (p < 0.001) were more strongly associated with volume reduction than COVID-19 incidence (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 was associated with a significant reduction in cardiac diagnostic procedures in Latin America, which was more related to social distancing than to the COVID-19 incidence. Better balance and timing of social distancing measures and planning to maintain access to medical care is warranted during a pandemic surge, especially in regions with high cardiovascular mortality.

Published
2022

2. Worldwide Disparities in Recovery of Cardiac Testing 1 Year Into COVID-19.

Author

Einstein, AJ, Hirschfeld, C, Williams, MC, Vitola, JV, Better, N, Villines, TC, Cerci, R, Shaw, LJ, Choi, AD, Dorbala, S, Karthikeyan, G, Lu, B, Sinitsyn, V, Ansheles, AA, Kudo, T, Bucciarelli-Ducci, C, Nørgaard, BL, Maurovich-Horvat, P, Campisi, R, Milan, E, Louw, L, Allam, AH, Bhatia, M, Sewanan, L, Malkovskiy, E, Cohen, Y, Randazzo, M, Narula, J, Morozova, O, Pascual, TNB, Pynda, Y, Dondi, M, Paez, D, INCAPS COVID 2 Investigators Group, Einstein, AJ, Hirschfeld, C, Williams, MC, Vitola, JV, Better, N, Villines, TC, Cerci, R, Shaw, LJ, Choi, AD, Dorbala, S, Karthikeyan, G, Lu, B, Sinitsyn, V, Ansheles, AA, Kudo, T, Bucciarelli-Ducci, C, Nørgaard, BL, Maurovich-Horvat, P, Campisi, R, Milan, E, Louw, L, Allam, AH, Bhatia, M, Sewanan, L, Malkovskiy, E, Cohen, Y, Randazzo, M, Narula, J, Morozova, O, Pascual, TNB, Pynda, Y, Dondi, M, Paez, D, and INCAPS COVID 2 Investigators Group

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The extent to which health care systems have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide necessary cardiac diagnostic services is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the pandemic on cardiac testing practices, volumes and types of diagnostic services, and perceived psychological stress to health care providers worldwide. METHODS: The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing alterations from baseline in cardiovascular diagnostic care at the pandemic's onset and 1 year later. Multivariable regression was used to determine factors associated with procedure volume recovery. RESULTS: Surveys were submitted from 669 centers in 107 countries. Worldwide reduction in cardiac procedure volumes of 64% from March 2019 to April 2020 recovered by April 2021 in high- and upper middle-income countries (recovery rates of 108% and 99%) but remained depressed in lower middle- and low-income countries (46% and 30% recovery). Although stress testing was used 12% less frequently in 2021 than in 2019, coronary computed tomographic angiography was used 14% more, a trend also seen for other advanced cardiac imaging modalities (positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance; 22%-25% increases). Pandemic-related psychological stress was estimated to have affected nearly 40% of staff, impacting patient care at 78% of sites. In multivariable regression, only lower-income status and physicians' psychological stress were significant in predicting recovery of cardiac testing. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac diagnostic testing has yet to recover to prepandemic levels in lower-income countries. Worldwide, the decrease in standard stress testing is offset by greater use of advanced cardiac imaging modalities. Pandemic-related psychological stress among providers is widespread and associated with poor recovery of cardiac testing.

Published
2022

3. Impact of the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the diagnosis of heart disease in the Russian Federation: Results from the russian segment of the IAEA INCAPS COVID study

Author

Ansheles, AA, Sergienko, VB, Sinitsyn, VE, Vakhromeeva, MN, Kokov, AN, Zavadovsky, KV, Ryzhkova, DV, Karalkin, AV, Shurupova, IV, Pospelov, VA, Migunova, EV, Sayfullina, GB, Dariy, OY, Zhuravlev, KN, Itskovich, IE, Gagarina, NV, Hirschfeld, C, Williams, MC, Shaw, LJ, Malkovskiy, E, Better, N, Cerci, R, Dorbala, S, Pascual, TNB, Raggi, P, Villines, T, Vitola, JV, Pynda, Y, Dondi, M, Paez, D, Einstein, AJ, Ansheles, AA, Sergienko, VB, Sinitsyn, VE, Vakhromeeva, MN, Kokov, AN, Zavadovsky, KV, Ryzhkova, DV, Karalkin, AV, Shurupova, IV, Pospelov, VA, Migunova, EV, Sayfullina, GB, Dariy, OY, Zhuravlev, KN, Itskovich, IE, Gagarina, NV, Hirschfeld, C, Williams, MC, Shaw, LJ, Malkovskiy, E, Better, N, Cerci, R, Dorbala, S, Pascual, TNB, Raggi, P, Villines, T, Vitola, JV, Pynda, Y, Dondi, M, Paez, D, and Einstein, AJ

Published
2021

4. Impact of COVID-19 on Diagnostic Cardiac Procedural Volume in Oceania : The IAEA Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

Author

O'Sullivan, P, Younger, J, Van Pelt, N, O'Malley, S, Lenturut-Katal, D, Hirschfeld, CB, Vitola, JV, Cerci, R, Williams, MC, Shaw, LJ, Raggi, P, Villines, TC, Dorbala, S, Choi, AD, Cohen, Y, Goebel, B, Malkovskiy, E, Randazzo, M, Pascual, TNB, Pynda, Y, Dondi, M, Paez, D, Einstein, AJ, Better, N, O'Sullivan, P, Younger, J, Van Pelt, N, O'Malley, S, Lenturut-Katal, D, Hirschfeld, CB, Vitola, JV, Cerci, R, Williams, MC, Shaw, LJ, Raggi, P, Villines, TC, Dorbala, S, Choi, AD, Cohen, Y, Goebel, B, Malkovskiy, E, Randazzo, M, Pascual, TNB, Pynda, Y, Dondi, M, Paez, D, Einstein, AJ, and Better, N

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The INCAPS COVID Oceania study aimed to assess the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac procedure volume provided in the Oceania region. METHODS: A retrospective survey was performed comparing procedure volumes within March 2019 (pre-COVID-19) with April 2020 (during first wave of COVID-19 pandemic). Sixty-three (63) health care facilities within Oceania that perform cardiac diagnostic procedures were surveyed, including a mixture of metropolitan and regional, hospital and outpatient, public and private sites, and 846 facilities outside of Oceania. The percentage change in procedure volume was measured between March 2019 and April 2020, compared by test type and by facility. RESULTS: In Oceania, the total cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was reduced by 52.2% from March 2019 to April 2020, compared to a reduction of 75.9% seen in the rest of the world (p<0.001). Within Oceania sites, this reduction varied significantly between procedure types, but not between types of health care facility. All procedure types (other than stress cardiac magnetic resonance [CMR] and positron emission tomography [PET]) saw significant reductions in volume over this time period (p<0.001). In Oceania, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) decreased by 51.6%, transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) by 74.0%, and stress tests by 65% overall, which was more pronounced for stress electrocardiograph (ECG) (81.8%) and stress echocardiography (76.7%) compared to stress single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) (44.3%). Invasive coronary angiography decreased by 36.7% in Oceania. CONCLUSION: A significant reduction in cardiac diagnostic procedure volume was seen across all facility types in Oceania and was likely a function of recommendations from cardiac societies and directives from government to minimise spread of COVID-19 amongst patients and staff. Longer term evaluation is important to assess for negative patient outcomes which may relate to deferral

Published
2021

5. Reduction of cardiac imaging tests during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Italy. Findings from the IAEA Non-invasive Cardiology Protocol Survey on COVID-19 (INCAPS COVID)

Author

Dondi, M, Milan, E, Pontone, G, Hirschfeld, CB, Williams, M, Shaw, LJ, Pynda, Y, Raggi, P, Cerci, R, Vitola, J, Better, N, Villines, TC, Dorbala, S, Pascual, TNB, Giubbini, R, Einstein, AJ, Paez, D, Dondi, M, Milan, E, Pontone, G, Hirschfeld, CB, Williams, M, Shaw, LJ, Pynda, Y, Raggi, P, Cerci, R, Vitola, J, Better, N, Villines, TC, Dorbala, S, Pascual, TNB, Giubbini, R, Einstein, AJ, and Paez, D

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In early 2020, COVID-19 massively hit Italy, earlier and harder than any other European country. This caused a series of strict containment measures, aimed at blocking the spread of the pandemic. Healthcare delivery was also affected when resources were diverted towards care of COVID-19 patients, including intensive care wards. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim is assessing the impact of COVID-19 on cardiac imaging in Italy, compare to the Rest of Europe (RoE) and the World (RoW). METHODS: A global survey was conducted in May-June 2020 worldwide, through a questionnaire distributed online. The survey covered three periods: March and April 2020, and March 2019. Data from 52 Italian centres, a subset of the 909 participating centres from 108 countries, were analyzed. RESULTS: In Italy, volumes decreased by 67% in March 2020, compared to March 2019, as opposed to a significantly lower decrease (p < 0.001) in RoE and RoW (41% and 40%, respectively). A further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 summed up to 76% for the North, 77% for the Centre and 86% for the South. When compared to the RoE and RoW, this further decrease from March 2020 to April 2020 in Italy was significantly less (p = 0.005), most likely reflecting the earlier effects of the containment measures in Italy, taken earlier than anywhere else in the West. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic massively hit Italy and caused a disruption of healthcare services, including cardiac imaging studies. This raises concern about the medium- and long-term consequences for the high number of patients who were denied timely diagnoses and the subsequent lifesaving therapies and procedures.

Published
2021

6. Impact of COVID-19 on Cardiovascular Testing in the United States Versus the Rest of the World

Author

Hirschfeld, CB, Shaw, LJ, Williams, MC, Lahey, R, Villines, TC, Dorbala, S, Choi, AD, Shah, NR, Bluemke, DA, Berman, DS, Blankstein, R, Ferencik, M, Narula, J, Winchester, D, Malkovskiy, E, Goebel, B, Randazzo, MJ, Lopez-Mattei, J, Parwani, P, Vitola, JV, Cerci, RJ, Better, N, Raggi, P, Lu, B, Sergienko, V, Sinitsyn, V, Kudo, T, Norgaard, BL, Maurovich-Horvat, P, Cohen, YA, Pascual, TNB, Pynda, Y, Dondi, M, Paez, D, Einstein, AJ, Hirschfeld, CB, Shaw, LJ, Williams, MC, Lahey, R, Villines, TC, Dorbala, S, Choi, AD, Shah, NR, Bluemke, DA, Berman, DS, Blankstein, R, Ferencik, M, Narula, J, Winchester, D, Malkovskiy, E, Goebel, B, Randazzo, MJ, Lopez-Mattei, J, Parwani, P, Vitola, JV, Cerci, RJ, Better, N, Raggi, P, Lu, B, Sergienko, V, Sinitsyn, V, Kudo, T, Norgaard, BL, Maurovich-Horvat, P, Cohen, YA, Pascual, TNB, Pynda, Y, Dondi, M, Paez, D, and Einstein, AJ

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-U.S. institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. METHODS: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. RESULTS: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a

Published
2021

7. Impact of COVID-19 on the imaging diagnosis of cardiac disease in Europe

Author

Williams, MC, Shaw, L, Hirschfeld, CB, Maurovich-Horvat, P, Norgaard, BL, Pontone, G, Jimenez-Heffernan, A, Sinitsyn, V, Sergienko, V, Ansheles, A, Bax, JJ, Buechel, R, Milan, E, Slart, RHJA, Nicol, E, Bucciarelli-Ducci, C, Pynda, Y, Better, N, Cerci, R, Dorbala, S, Raggi, P, Villines, TC, Vitola, J, Malkovskiy, E, Goebel, B, Cohen, Y, Randazzo, M, Pascual, TNB, Dondi, M, Paez, D, Einstein, AJ, Williams, MC, Shaw, L, Hirschfeld, CB, Maurovich-Horvat, P, Norgaard, BL, Pontone, G, Jimenez-Heffernan, A, Sinitsyn, V, Sergienko, V, Ansheles, A, Bax, JJ, Buechel, R, Milan, E, Slart, RHJA, Nicol, E, Bucciarelli-Ducci, C, Pynda, Y, Better, N, Cerci, R, Dorbala, S, Raggi, P, Villines, TC, Vitola, J, Malkovskiy, E, Goebel, B, Cohen, Y, Randazzo, M, Pascual, TNB, Dondi, M, Paez, D, and Einstein, AJ

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiac diagnostic testing and practice and to assess its impact in different regions in Europe. METHODS: The online survey organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency Division of Human Health collected information on changes in cardiac imaging procedural volumes between March 2019 and March/April 2020. Data were collected from 909 centres in 108 countries. RESULTS: Centres in Northern and Southern Europe were more likely to cancel all outpatient activities compared with Western and Eastern Europe. There was a greater reduction in total procedure volumes in Europe compared with the rest of the world in March 2020 (45% vs 41%, p=0.003), with a more marked reduction in Southern Europe (58%), but by April 2020 this was similar in Europe and the rest of the world (69% vs 63%, p=0.261). Regional variations were apparent between imaging modalities, but the largest reductions were in Southern Europe for nearly all modalities. In March 2020, location in Southern Europe was the only independent predictor of the reduction in procedure volume. However, in April 2020, lower gross domestic product and higher COVID-19 deaths were the only independent predictors. CONCLUSION: The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on care of patients with cardiac disease, with substantial regional variations in Europe. This has potential long-term implications for patients and plans are required to enable the diagnosis of non-COVID-19 conditions during the ongoing pandemic.

Published
2021

8. Nuclear cardiology practices and radiation exposure in Africa: results from the IAEA Nuclear Cardiology Protocols Study (INCAPS)

Author

Bouyoucef, SE, Mercuri, M, Pascual, TNB, Allam, AH, Vangu, M, Vitola, JV, Better, N, Karthikeyan, G, Mahmarian, JJ, Rehani, MM, Kashyap, R, Dondi, M, Paez, D, Einstein, AJ, Bouyoucef, SE, Mercuri, M, Pascual, TNB, Allam, AH, Vangu, M, Vitola, JV, Better, N, Karthikeyan, G, Mahmarian, JJ, Rehani, MM, Kashyap, R, Dondi, M, Paez, D, and Einstein, AJ

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: While nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) offers many benefits to patients with known or suspected cardiovascular disease, concerns exist regarding radiation-associated health effects. Little is known regarding MPI practice in Africa. We sought to characterise radiation doses and the use of MPI best practices that could minimise radiation in African nuclear cardiology laboratories, and compare these to practice worldwide. METHODS: Demographics and clinical characteristics were collected for a consecutive sample of 348 patients from 12 laboratories in six African countries over a one-week period from March to April 2013. Radiation effective dose (ED) was estimated for each patient. A quality index (QI) enumerating adherence to eight best practices, identified a priori by an IAEA expert panel, was calculated for each laboratory. We compared these metrics with those from 7 563 patients from 296 laboratories outside Africa. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) patient ED in Africa was similar to that of the rest of the world [9.1 (5.1-15.6) vs 10.3 mSv (6.8-12.6), p = 0.14], although a larger proportion of African patients received a low ED, ≤ 9 mSv targeted in societal recommendations (49.7 vs 38.2%, p < 0.001). Bestpractice adherence was higher among African laboratories (QI score: 6.3 ± 1.2 vs 5.4 ± 1.3, p = 0.013). However, median ED varied significantly among African laboratories (range: 2.0-16.3 mSv; p < 0.0001) and QI range was 4-8. CONCLUSION: Patient radiation dose from MPI in Africa was similar to that in the rest of the world, and adherence to best practices was relatively high in African laboratories. Nevertheless there remain opportunities to further reduce radiation exposure to African patients from MPI.

Published
2017

9. Nuclear cardiology practice and associated radiation doses in Europe: results of the IAEA Nuclear Cardiology Protocols Study (INCAPS) for the 27 European countries

Author

Lindner, O, Pascual, TNB, Mercuri, M, Acampa, W, Burchert, W, Flotats, A, Kaufmann, PA, Kitsiou, A, Knuuti, J, Underwood, SR, Vitola, JV, Mahmarian, JJ, Karthikeyan, G, Better, N, Rehani, MM, Kashyap, R, Dondi, M, Paez, D, Einstein, AJ, Bouyoucef, SE, Lele, V, Magboo, VPC, Mut, F, Meeks, JB, Alexanderson, E, Allam, A, Al-Mallah, MH, Bom, H, Jerome, S, Luxenburg, O, Mahmarian, J, Shaw, LJ, Vitola, J, Amouri, W, Essabbah, H, Gassama, SS, Makhdomi, KB, El Mustapha, GIE, El Ouchdi, N, Qais, N, Soni, N, Vangu, W, Abazid, RM, Adams, B, Agarwal, V, Alfeeli, MA, Alnafisi, N, Bernabe, L, Bural, GG, Chaiwatanarat, T, Chandraguptha, JM, Cheon, GJ, Cho, I, Dogan, AS, Eftekhari, M, Frenkel, A, Garty, I, George, S, Geramifar, P, Golan, H, Habib, S, Hussain, R, Im, H, Jeon, H-J, Kalawat, T, Kang, WJ, Keng, F, Klaipetch, A, Kumar, PG, Lee, J, Lee, WW, Lim, I, Macaisa, CMM, Malhotra, G, Mittal, BR, Mohammad, MH, Mohan, P, Mulyanto, ID, Nariman, D, Nayak, UN, Niaz, K, Nikolov, G, Obaldo, JM, Ozturk, E, Park, JM, Park, S, Patel, CD, Phuong, HK, Quinon, AP, Rajini, TR, Saengsuda, Y, Santiago, J, Sayman, HB, Shinto, AS, Sivasubramaniyan, V, Son, MH, Sudhakar, P, Syed, GMS, Tamaki, N, Thamnirat, K, Thientunyakit, T, Thongmak, S, Velasco, DN, Verma, A, Vutrapongwatana, U, Wang, Y, Won, KS, Yao, Z, Yingsa-nga, T, Yudistiro, R, Yue, KT, Zafrir, N, Adrian, SC, Agostini, D, Aguade, S, Armitage, G, Backlund, M, Backman, M, Baker, M, Balducci, MT, Bavelaar, C, Berovic, M, Bertagna, F, Beuchel, R, Biggi, A, Bisi, G, Bonini, R, Bradley, A, Brudin, L, Bruno, I, Busnardo, E, Casoni, R, Choudhri, A, Cittanti, C, Clauss, R, Costa, DC, Costa, M, Dixon, K, Dziuk, M, Egelic, N, Eriksson, I, Fagioli, G, de Faria, DB, Florimonte, L, Francini, A, French, M, Gallagher, E, Garai, I, Geatti, O, Genovesi, D, Gianolli, L, Gimelli, A, del Giudice, E, Halliwell, S, Hansson, MJ, Harrison, C, Homans, F, Horton, F, Jedrzejuk, D, Jogi, J, Johansen, A, Johansson, H, Kalnina, M, Kaminek, M, Kiss, A, Kobylecka, M, Kostkiewicz, M, Kropp, J, Kullenberg, R, Lahoutte, T, Lang, O, Larsson, YH, Lazar, M, Leccisotti, L, Leners, N, Lipp, RW, Maenhout, A, Maffioli, L, Marcassa, C, Martins, B, Marzullo, P, Medolago, G, Mendiguchia, CG, Mirzaei, S, Mori, M, Nardi, B, Nazarenko, S, Nikoletic, K, Oleksa, R, Parviainen, T, Patrina, J, Peace, R, Pirich, C, Piwowarska-Bilska, H, Popa, S, Prakash, V, Pubul, V, Puklavec, L, Rac, S, Ratniece, M, Rogan, SA, Romeo, A, Rossi, M, Ruiz, D, Sabharwal, N, Salobir, BG, Santos, AI, Saranovic, S, Sarkozi, A, Schneider, RP, Sciagra, R, Scotti, S, Servini, Z, Setti, LR, Starck, S-A, Vajauskas, D, Vesely, J, Vieni, A, Vignati, A, Vito, IM, Weiss, K, Wild, D, Zdraveska-Kochovska, M, Aguro, RN, Alvarado, N, Barral, CM, Beretta, M, Berrocal, I, Cuellar, JFB, Chang, TMC, Rodriguez, LOC, Canessa, J, Mora, GC, Claudia, AC, Clavelo, GF, Junior, AFC, Faccio, FF, Fernandez, KM, Garibo, JRG, Gonzalez, U, Gonzalez, PE, Guzzo, MA, Jofre, J, Kapitan, M, Kempfer, G, Lopez, JL, Massardo, TV, Colaco, IM, Mesquita, CT, Montecinos, M, Neubauer, S, Pabon, LM, Puente, A, Vazquez, LMR, Macias, JAS, Pino, AGS, Huber, FZT, Tovar, AP, Vargas, L, Wiefels, C, Aljizeeri, A, Alvarez, RJ, Barger, D, Beardwood, W, Behrens, J, Brann, L, Brown, D, Carr, H, Churchwell, K, Comingore, GA, Corbett, J, Costello, M, Cruz, F, Depinet, T, Dorbala, S, Earles, M, Esteves, FP, Etherton, E, Fanning, RJ, Fornace, J, Franks, L, Gewirtz, H, Gulanchyn, K, Hannah, C-L, Hays, J, Hendrickson, J, Hester, J, Holmes, K, Johnson, A, Jopek, C, Lewin, H, Lyons, J, Manley, C, Meden, J, Moore, S, Moore, WH, Murthy, V, Nace, R, Neely, D, Nelson, L, Niedermaier, O, Rice, D, Rigs, R, Schiffer, K, Schockling, E, Schultz, T, Schumacker, T, Sheesley, B, Sheikh, A, Siegel, B, Slim, AM, Smith, J, Szulc, M, Tanskersley, N, Tilkemeier, P, Valdez, GD, Vrooman, R, Wawrowicz, D, Winchester, DE, Alcheikh, A, Allen, B, Atkins, E, Bevan, J, Bonomini, C, Christiansen, J, Clack, L, Craig, E, Dixson, H, Duncan, I, Fredericks, S, Gales, S, Hampson, R, Hanley, T, Hartcher, K, Hassall, J, Kelley, B, Kelly, S, Kidd, T, de Kort, T, Larcos, G, Macdonald, W, McGrath, C, Murdoch, E, O'Malley, S, O'Rourke, M, Pack, M, Pearce, R, Praehofer, R, Ramsay, S, Scarlett, L, Smidt, K, Souvannavong, F, Taubman, K, Taylor, G, Tse, K, Unger, S, Weale, J, Lindner, O, Pascual, TNB, Mercuri, M, Acampa, W, Burchert, W, Flotats, A, Kaufmann, PA, Kitsiou, A, Knuuti, J, Underwood, SR, Vitola, JV, Mahmarian, JJ, Karthikeyan, G, Better, N, Rehani, MM, Kashyap, R, Dondi, M, Paez, D, Einstein, AJ, Bouyoucef, SE, Lele, V, Magboo, VPC, Mut, F, Meeks, JB, Alexanderson, E, Allam, A, Al-Mallah, MH, Bom, H, Jerome, S, Luxenburg, O, Mahmarian, J, Shaw, LJ, Vitola, J, Amouri, W, Essabbah, H, Gassama, SS, Makhdomi, KB, El Mustapha, GIE, El Ouchdi, N, Qais, N, Soni, N, Vangu, W, Abazid, RM, Adams, B, Agarwal, V, Alfeeli, MA, Alnafisi, N, Bernabe, L, Bural, GG, Chaiwatanarat, T, Chandraguptha, JM, Cheon, GJ, Cho, I, Dogan, AS, Eftekhari, M, Frenkel, A, Garty, I, George, S, Geramifar, P, Golan, H, Habib, S, Hussain, R, Im, H, Jeon, H-J, Kalawat, T, Kang, WJ, Keng, F, Klaipetch, A, Kumar, PG, Lee, J, Lee, WW, Lim, I, Macaisa, CMM, Malhotra, G, Mittal, BR, Mohammad, MH, Mohan, P, Mulyanto, ID, Nariman, D, Nayak, UN, Niaz, K, Nikolov, G, Obaldo, JM, Ozturk, E, Park, JM, Park, S, Patel, CD, Phuong, HK, Quinon, AP, Rajini, TR, Saengsuda, Y, Santiago, J, Sayman, HB, Shinto, AS, Sivasubramaniyan, V, Son, MH, Sudhakar, P, Syed, GMS, Tamaki, N, Thamnirat, K, Thientunyakit, T, Thongmak, S, Velasco, DN, Verma, A, Vutrapongwatana, U, Wang, Y, Won, KS, Yao, Z, Yingsa-nga, T, Yudistiro, R, Yue, KT, Zafrir, N, Adrian, SC, Agostini, D, Aguade, S, Armitage, G, Backlund, M, Backman, M, Baker, M, Balducci, MT, Bavelaar, C, Berovic, M, Bertagna, F, Beuchel, R, Biggi, A, Bisi, G, Bonini, R, Bradley, A, Brudin, L, Bruno, I, Busnardo, E, Casoni, R, Choudhri, A, Cittanti, C, Clauss, R, Costa, DC, Costa, M, Dixon, K, Dziuk, M, Egelic, N, Eriksson, I, Fagioli, G, de Faria, DB, Florimonte, L, Francini, A, French, M, Gallagher, E, Garai, I, Geatti, O, Genovesi, D, Gianolli, L, Gimelli, A, del Giudice, E, Halliwell, S, Hansson, MJ, Harrison, C, Homans, F, Horton, F, Jedrzejuk, D, Jogi, J, Johansen, A, Johansson, H, Kalnina, M, Kaminek, M, Kiss, A, Kobylecka, M, Kostkiewicz, M, Kropp, J, Kullenberg, R, Lahoutte, T, Lang, O, Larsson, YH, Lazar, M, Leccisotti, L, Leners, N, Lipp, RW, Maenhout, A, Maffioli, L, Marcassa, C, Martins, B, Marzullo, P, Medolago, G, Mendiguchia, CG, Mirzaei, S, Mori, M, Nardi, B, Nazarenko, S, Nikoletic, K, Oleksa, R, Parviainen, T, Patrina, J, Peace, R, Pirich, C, Piwowarska-Bilska, H, Popa, S, Prakash, V, Pubul, V, Puklavec, L, Rac, S, Ratniece, M, Rogan, SA, Romeo, A, Rossi, M, Ruiz, D, Sabharwal, N, Salobir, BG, Santos, AI, Saranovic, S, Sarkozi, A, Schneider, RP, Sciagra, R, Scotti, S, Servini, Z, Setti, LR, Starck, S-A, Vajauskas, D, Vesely, J, Vieni, A, Vignati, A, Vito, IM, Weiss, K, Wild, D, Zdraveska-Kochovska, M, Aguro, RN, Alvarado, N, Barral, CM, Beretta, M, Berrocal, I, Cuellar, JFB, Chang, TMC, Rodriguez, LOC, Canessa, J, Mora, GC, Claudia, AC, Clavelo, GF, Junior, AFC, Faccio, FF, Fernandez, KM, Garibo, JRG, Gonzalez, U, Gonzalez, PE, Guzzo, MA, Jofre, J, Kapitan, M, Kempfer, G, Lopez, JL, Massardo, TV, Colaco, IM, Mesquita, CT, Montecinos, M, Neubauer, S, Pabon, LM, Puente, A, Vazquez, LMR, Macias, JAS, Pino, AGS, Huber, FZT, Tovar, AP, Vargas, L, Wiefels, C, Aljizeeri, A, Alvarez, RJ, Barger, D, Beardwood, W, Behrens, J, Brann, L, Brown, D, Carr, H, Churchwell, K, Comingore, GA, Corbett, J, Costello, M, Cruz, F, Depinet, T, Dorbala, S, Earles, M, Esteves, FP, Etherton, E, Fanning, RJ, Fornace, J, Franks, L, Gewirtz, H, Gulanchyn, K, Hannah, C-L, Hays, J, Hendrickson, J, Hester, J, Holmes, K, Johnson, A, Jopek, C, Lewin, H, Lyons, J, Manley, C, Meden, J, Moore, S, Moore, WH, Murthy, V, Nace, R, Neely, D, Nelson, L, Niedermaier, O, Rice, D, Rigs, R, Schiffer, K, Schockling, E, Schultz, T, Schumacker, T, Sheesley, B, Sheikh, A, Siegel, B, Slim, AM, Smith, J, Szulc, M, Tanskersley, N, Tilkemeier, P, Valdez, GD, Vrooman, R, Wawrowicz, D, Winchester, DE, Alcheikh, A, Allen, B, Atkins, E, Bevan, J, Bonomini, C, Christiansen, J, Clack, L, Craig, E, Dixson, H, Duncan, I, Fredericks, S, Gales, S, Hampson, R, Hanley, T, Hartcher, K, Hassall, J, Kelley, B, Kelly, S, Kidd, T, de Kort, T, Larcos, G, Macdonald, W, McGrath, C, Murdoch, E, O'Malley, S, O'Rourke, M, Pack, M, Pearce, R, Praehofer, R, Ramsay, S, Scarlett, L, Smidt, K, Souvannavong, F, Taubman, K, Taylor, G, Tse, K, Unger, S, and Weale, J

Abstract

PURPOSE: Nuclear cardiology is widely used to diagnose coronary artery disease and to guide patient management, but data on current practices, radiation dose-related best practices, and radiation doses are scarce. To address these issues, the IAEA conducted a worldwide study of nuclear cardiology practice. We present the European subanalysis. METHODS: In March 2013, the IAEA invited laboratories across the world to document all SPECT and PET studies performed in one week. The data included age, gender, weight, radiopharmaceuticals, injected activities, camera type, positioning, hardware and software. Radiation effective dose was calculated for each patient. A quality score was defined for each laboratory as the number followed of eight predefined best practices with a bearing on radiation exposure (range of quality score 0 - 8). The participating European countries were assigned to regions (North, East, South, and West). Comparisons were performed between the four European regions and between Europe and the rest-of-the-world (RoW). RESULTS: Data on 2,381 European patients undergoing nuclear cardiology procedures in 102 laboratories in 27 countries were collected. A cardiac SPECT study was performed in 97.9 % of the patients, and a PET study in 2.1 %. The average effective dose of SPECT was 8.0 ± 3.4 mSv (RoW 11.4 ± 4.3 mSv; P < 0.001) and of PET was 2.6 ± 1.5 mSv (RoW 3.8 ± 2.5 mSv; P < 0.001). The mean effective doses of SPECT and PET differed between European regions (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). The mean quality score was 6.2 ± 1.2, which was higher than the RoW score (5.0 ± 1.1; P < 0.001). Adherence to best practices did not differ significantly among the European regions (range 6 to 6.4; P = 0.73). Of the best practices, stress-only imaging and weight-adjusted dosing were the least commonly used. CONCLUSION: In Europe, the mean effective dose from nuclear cardiology is lower and the average quality score is higher than in the RoW. There is regional

Published
2016

10. Current worldwide nuclear cardiology practices and radiation exposure: results from the 65 country IAEA Nuclear Cardiology Protocols Cross-Sectional Study (INCAPS)

Author

Einstein, AJ, Pascual, TNB, Mercuri, M, Karthikeyan, G, Vitola, JV, Mahmarian, JJ, Better, N, Bouyoucef, SE, Bom, HH-S, Lele, V, Magboo, VPC, Alexanderson, E, Allam, AH, Al-Mallah, MH, Flotats, A, Jerome, S, Kaufmann, PA, Luxenburg, O, Shaw, LJ, Underwood, SR, Rehani, MM, Kashyap, R, Paez, D, Dondi, M, Allam, A, Bom, H, Mahmarian, J, Vitola, J, Amouri, W, Essabbah, H, Gassama, SS, Makhdomi, KB, El Mustapha, GIE, El Ouchdi, N, Qais, N, Soni, N, Vangu, W, Abazid, RM, Adams, B, Agarwal, V, Alfeeli, MA, Alnafisi, N, Bernabe, L, Bural, GG, Chaiwatanarat, T, Chandraguptha, JM, Cheon, GJ, Cho, I, Dogan, AS, Eftekhari, M, Frenkel, A, Garty, I, George, S, Geramifar, P, Golan, H, Habib, S, Hussain, R, Im, H, Jeon, H-J, Kalawat, T, Kang, WJ, Keng, F, Klaipetch, A, Kumar, PG, Lee, J, Lee, WW, Lim, I, Macaisa, CMM, Malhotra, G, Mittal, BR, Mohammad, MH, Mohan, P, Mulyanto, ID, Nariman, D, Nayak, UN, Niaz, K, Nikolov, G, Obaldo, JM, Ozturk, E, Park, JM, Park, S, Patel, CD, Phuong, HK, Quinon, AP, Rajini, TR, Saengsuda, Y, Santiago, J, Sayman, HB, Shinto, AS, Sivasubramaniyan, V, Son, MH, Sudhakar, P, Syed, GMS, Tamaki, N, Thamnirat, K, Thientunyakit, T, Thongmak, S, Velasco, DN, Verma, A, Vutrapongwatana, U, Wang, Y, Won, KS, Yao, Z, Yingsa-nga, T, Yudistiro, R, Yue, KT, Zafrir, N, Adrian, SC, Agostini, D, Aguade, S, Armitage, G, Backlund, M, Backman, M, Baker, M, Balducci, MT, Bavelaar, C, Berovic, M, Bertagna, F, Beuchel, R, Biggi, A, Bisi, G, Bonini, R, Bradley, A, Brudin, L, Bruno, I, Busnardo, E, Casoni, R, Choudhri, A, Cittanti, C, Clauss, R, Costa, DC, Costa, M, Dixon, K, Dziuk, M, Egelic, N, Eriksson, I, Fagioli, G, de Faria, DB, Florimonte, L, Francini, A, French, M, Gallagher, E, Garai, I, Geatti, O, Genovesi, D, Gianolli, L, Gimelli, A, del Giudice, E, Halliwell, S, Hansson, MJ, Harrison, C, Homans, F, Horton, F, Jedrzejuk, D, Jogi, J, Johansen, A, Johansson, H, Kalnina, M, Kaminek, M, Kiss, A, Kobylecka, M, Kostkiewicz, M, Kropp, J, Kullenberg, R, Lahoutte, T, Lang, O, Larsson, YH, Lazar, M, Leccisotti, L, Leners, N, Lindner, O, Lipp, RW, Maenhout, A, Maffioli, L, Marcassa, C, Martins, B, Marzullo, P, Medolago, G, Meeks, JB, Mendiguchia, CG, Mirzaei, S, Mori, M, Nardi, B, Nazarenko, S, Nikoletic, K, Oleksa, R, Parviainen, T, Patrina, J, Peace, R, Pirich, C, Piwowarska-Bilska, H, Popa, S, Prakash, V, Pubul, V, Puklavec, L, Rac, S, Ratniece, M, Rogan, SA, Romeo, A, Rossi, M, Ruiz, D, Sabharwal, N, Salobir, BG, Santos, AI, Saranovic, S, Sarkozi, A, Schneider, RP, Sciagra, R, Scotti, S, Servini, Z, Setti, LR, Starck, S-A, Vajauskas, D, Vesely, J, Vieni, A, Vignati, A, Vito, IM, Weiss, K, Wild, D, Zdraveska-Kochovska, M, Aguro, RN, Alvarado, N, Barral, CM, Beretta, M, Berrocal, I, Cuellar, JFB, Chang, T-MC, Rodriguez, LOC, Canessa, J, Mora, GC, Claudia, AC, Clavelo, GF, Cruz, AF, Faccio, FF, Fernandez, KM, Garibo, JRG, Gonzalez, U, Gonzalez E., P, Guzzo, MA, Jofre, J, Kapitan, M, Kempfer, G, Lopez, JL, Massardo V., T, Colaco, IM, Mesquita, CT, Montecinos, M, Neubauer, S, Pabon, LM, Puente, A, Vazquez, LMR, Macias, JAS, Pino, AGS, Huber, FZT, Tovar, AP, Vargas, L, Wiefels, C, Aljizeeri, A, Alvarez, RJ, Barger, D, Beardwood, W, Behrens, J, Brann, L, Brown, D, Carr, H, Churchwell, K, Comingore, GA, Corbett, J, Costello, M, Cruz, F, Depinet, T, Dorbala, S, Earles, M, Esteves, FP, Etherton, E, Fanning, RJ, Fornace, J, Franks, L, Gewirtz, H, Gulanchyn, K, Hannah, C-L, Hays, J, Hendrickson, J, Hester, J, Holmes, K, Johnson, A, Jopek, C, Lewin, H, Lyons, J, Manley, C, Meden, J, Moore, S, Moore, WH, Murthy, V, Nace, R, Neely, D, Nelson, L, Niedermaier, O, Rice, D, Rigs, R, Schiffer, K, Schockling, E, Schultz, T, Schumacker, T, Sheesley, B, Sheikh, A, Siegel, B, Slim, AM, Smith, J, Szulc, M, Tanskersley, N, Tilkemeier, P, Valdez, GD, Vrooman, R, Wawrowicz, D, Winchester, DE, Alcheikh, A, Allen, B, Atkins, E, Bevan, J, Bonomini, C, Christiansen, J, Clack, L, Craig, E, Dixson, H, Duncan, I, Fredericks, S, Gales, S, Hampson, R, Hanley, T, Hartcher, K, Hassall, J, Kelley, B, Kelly, S, Kidd, T, de Kort, T, Larcos, G, Macdonald, W, McGrath, C, Murdoch, E, O'Malley, S, O'Rourke, M, Pack, M, Pearce, R, Praehofer, R, Ramsay, S, Scarlett, L, Smidt, K, Souvannavong, F, Taubman, K, Taylor, G, Tse, K, Unger, S, Weale, J, Einstein, AJ, Pascual, TNB, Mercuri, M, Karthikeyan, G, Vitola, JV, Mahmarian, JJ, Better, N, Bouyoucef, SE, Bom, HH-S, Lele, V, Magboo, VPC, Alexanderson, E, Allam, AH, Al-Mallah, MH, Flotats, A, Jerome, S, Kaufmann, PA, Luxenburg, O, Shaw, LJ, Underwood, SR, Rehani, MM, Kashyap, R, Paez, D, Dondi, M, Allam, A, Bom, H, Mahmarian, J, Vitola, J, Amouri, W, Essabbah, H, Gassama, SS, Makhdomi, KB, El Mustapha, GIE, El Ouchdi, N, Qais, N, Soni, N, Vangu, W, Abazid, RM, Adams, B, Agarwal, V, Alfeeli, MA, Alnafisi, N, Bernabe, L, Bural, GG, Chaiwatanarat, T, Chandraguptha, JM, Cheon, GJ, Cho, I, Dogan, AS, Eftekhari, M, Frenkel, A, Garty, I, George, S, Geramifar, P, Golan, H, Habib, S, Hussain, R, Im, H, Jeon, H-J, Kalawat, T, Kang, WJ, Keng, F, Klaipetch, A, Kumar, PG, Lee, J, Lee, WW, Lim, I, Macaisa, CMM, Malhotra, G, Mittal, BR, Mohammad, MH, Mohan, P, Mulyanto, ID, Nariman, D, Nayak, UN, Niaz, K, Nikolov, G, Obaldo, JM, Ozturk, E, Park, JM, Park, S, Patel, CD, Phuong, HK, Quinon, AP, Rajini, TR, Saengsuda, Y, Santiago, J, Sayman, HB, Shinto, AS, Sivasubramaniyan, V, Son, MH, Sudhakar, P, Syed, GMS, Tamaki, N, Thamnirat, K, Thientunyakit, T, Thongmak, S, Velasco, DN, Verma, A, Vutrapongwatana, U, Wang, Y, Won, KS, Yao, Z, Yingsa-nga, T, Yudistiro, R, Yue, KT, Zafrir, N, Adrian, SC, Agostini, D, Aguade, S, Armitage, G, Backlund, M, Backman, M, Baker, M, Balducci, MT, Bavelaar, C, Berovic, M, Bertagna, F, Beuchel, R, Biggi, A, Bisi, G, Bonini, R, Bradley, A, Brudin, L, Bruno, I, Busnardo, E, Casoni, R, Choudhri, A, Cittanti, C, Clauss, R, Costa, DC, Costa, M, Dixon, K, Dziuk, M, Egelic, N, Eriksson, I, Fagioli, G, de Faria, DB, Florimonte, L, Francini, A, French, M, Gallagher, E, Garai, I, Geatti, O, Genovesi, D, Gianolli, L, Gimelli, A, del Giudice, E, Halliwell, S, Hansson, MJ, Harrison, C, Homans, F, Horton, F, Jedrzejuk, D, Jogi, J, Johansen, A, Johansson, H, Kalnina, M, Kaminek, M, Kiss, A, Kobylecka, M, Kostkiewicz, M, Kropp, J, Kullenberg, R, Lahoutte, T, Lang, O, Larsson, YH, Lazar, M, Leccisotti, L, Leners, N, Lindner, O, Lipp, RW, Maenhout, A, Maffioli, L, Marcassa, C, Martins, B, Marzullo, P, Medolago, G, Meeks, JB, Mendiguchia, CG, Mirzaei, S, Mori, M, Nardi, B, Nazarenko, S, Nikoletic, K, Oleksa, R, Parviainen, T, Patrina, J, Peace, R, Pirich, C, Piwowarska-Bilska, H, Popa, S, Prakash, V, Pubul, V, Puklavec, L, Rac, S, Ratniece, M, Rogan, SA, Romeo, A, Rossi, M, Ruiz, D, Sabharwal, N, Salobir, BG, Santos, AI, Saranovic, S, Sarkozi, A, Schneider, RP, Sciagra, R, Scotti, S, Servini, Z, Setti, LR, Starck, S-A, Vajauskas, D, Vesely, J, Vieni, A, Vignati, A, Vito, IM, Weiss, K, Wild, D, Zdraveska-Kochovska, M, Aguro, RN, Alvarado, N, Barral, CM, Beretta, M, Berrocal, I, Cuellar, JFB, Chang, T-MC, Rodriguez, LOC, Canessa, J, Mora, GC, Claudia, AC, Clavelo, GF, Cruz, AF, Faccio, FF, Fernandez, KM, Garibo, JRG, Gonzalez, U, Gonzalez E., P, Guzzo, MA, Jofre, J, Kapitan, M, Kempfer, G, Lopez, JL, Massardo V., T, Colaco, IM, Mesquita, CT, Montecinos, M, Neubauer, S, Pabon, LM, Puente, A, Vazquez, LMR, Macias, JAS, Pino, AGS, Huber, FZT, Tovar, AP, Vargas, L, Wiefels, C, Aljizeeri, A, Alvarez, RJ, Barger, D, Beardwood, W, Behrens, J, Brann, L, Brown, D, Carr, H, Churchwell, K, Comingore, GA, Corbett, J, Costello, M, Cruz, F, Depinet, T, Dorbala, S, Earles, M, Esteves, FP, Etherton, E, Fanning, RJ, Fornace, J, Franks, L, Gewirtz, H, Gulanchyn, K, Hannah, C-L, Hays, J, Hendrickson, J, Hester, J, Holmes, K, Johnson, A, Jopek, C, Lewin, H, Lyons, J, Manley, C, Meden, J, Moore, S, Moore, WH, Murthy, V, Nace, R, Neely, D, Nelson, L, Niedermaier, O, Rice, D, Rigs, R, Schiffer, K, Schockling, E, Schultz, T, Schumacker, T, Sheesley, B, Sheikh, A, Siegel, B, Slim, AM, Smith, J, Szulc, M, Tanskersley, N, Tilkemeier, P, Valdez, GD, Vrooman, R, Wawrowicz, D, Winchester, DE, Alcheikh, A, Allen, B, Atkins, E, Bevan, J, Bonomini, C, Christiansen, J, Clack, L, Craig, E, Dixson, H, Duncan, I, Fredericks, S, Gales, S, Hampson, R, Hanley, T, Hartcher, K, Hassall, J, Kelley, B, Kelly, S, Kidd, T, de Kort, T, Larcos, G, Macdonald, W, McGrath, C, Murdoch, E, O'Malley, S, O'Rourke, M, Pack, M, Pearce, R, Praehofer, R, Ramsay, S, Scarlett, L, Smidt, K, Souvannavong, F, Taubman, K, Taylor, G, Tse, K, Unger, S, and Weale, J

Abstract

AIMS: To characterize patient radiation doses from nuclear myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and the use of radiation-optimizing 'best practices' worldwide, and to evaluate the relationship between laboratory use of best practices and patient radiation dose. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted an observational cross-sectional study of protocols used for all 7911 MPI studies performed in 308 nuclear cardiology laboratories in 65 countries for a single week in March-April 2013. Eight 'best practices' relating to radiation exposure were identified a priori by an expert committee, and a radiation-related quality index (QI) devised indicating the number of best practices used by a laboratory. Patient radiation effective dose (ED) ranged between 0.8 and 35.6 mSv (median 10.0 mSv). Average laboratory ED ranged from 2.2 to 24.4 mSv (median 10.4 mSv); only 91 (30%) laboratories achieved the median ED ≤ 9 mSv recommended by guidelines. Laboratory QIs ranged from 2 to 8 (median 5). Both ED and QI differed significantly between laboratories, countries, and world regions. The lowest median ED (8.0 mSv), in Europe, coincided with high best-practice adherence (mean laboratory QI 6.2). The highest doses (median 12.1 mSv) and low QI (4.9) occurred in Latin America. In hierarchical regression modelling, patients undergoing MPI at laboratories following more 'best practices' had lower EDs. CONCLUSION: Marked worldwide variation exists in radiation safety practices pertaining to MPI, with targeted EDs currently achieved in a minority of laboratories. The significant relationship between best-practice implementation and lower doses indicates numerous opportunities to reduce radiation exposure from MPI globally.

Published
2015

Catalog

Books, media, physical & digital resources
See catalog results