@article{3128279,
    title = "Estimation of radiation dose and risk to children undergoing cardiac catheterization for the treatment of a congenital heart disease using Monte Carlo simulations",
    author = "Yakoumakis, E. and Kostopoulou, H. and Makri, T. and Dimitriadis, A. and Georgiou, E. and Tsalafoutas, I.",
    journal = "Pediatric Radiology",
    year = "2013",
    volume = "43",
    number = "3",
    pages = "339-346",
    publisher = "Springer-Verlag",
    issn = "0301-0449, 1432-1998",
    doi = "10.1007/s00247-012-2510-3",
    keywords = "article;  bone marrow;  breast;  cardiovascular risk;  child;  childhood disease;  congenital heart disease;  dose response;  heart;  heart atrium septum defect;  heart catheterization;  heart ventricle septum defect;  human;  infant;  liver;  lung;  major clinical study;  Monte Carlo method;  pancreas;  patent ductus arteriosus;  preschool child;  priority journal;  radiation dose;  radiation exposure;  radiation hazard;  retrospective study;  risk assessment;  school child;  skin;  spleen;  stomach;  thymus;  thyroid gland",
    abstract = "Background: Children diagnosed with congenital heart disease often undergo cardiac catheterization for their treatment, which involves the use of ionizing radiation and therefore a risk of radiation-induced cancer. Objective: The purpose of this study was to calculate the effective and equivalent organ doses (HT) in those children and estimate the risk of exposure-induced death. Materials and methods: Fifty-three children were divided into three groups: atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). In all procedures, the exposure conditions and the dose-area product meters readings were recorded for each individual acquisition. Monte Carlo simulations were run using the PCXMC 2.0 code and mathematical phantoms simulating a child's anatomy. The HT values to all irradiated organs and the resulting E and risk of exposure-induced death values were calculated. Results: The average dose-area product values were, respectively, 40 ± 12 Gy·cm2 for the ASD, 17.5 ± 0.7 Gy·cm2 for the VSD and 9.5 ± 1 Gy·cm 2 for the PDA group. The average E values were 40 ± 12, 22 ± 2.5 and 17 ± 3.6 mSv for ASD, VSD and PDA groups, respectively. The respective estimated risk of exposure-induced death values per procedure were 0.109, 0.106 and 0.067%. Conclusion: Cardiac catheterizations in children involve a considerable risk for radiation-induced cancer that has to be further reduced. © 2012 Springer-Verlag."
}