Sistema de Salut de Catalunya
Institut Català de la Salut
[Adeliño R] Unitat d’Arrítmies, Servei de Cardiologia, Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Barcelona, Spain. Cardiology-Heart Rhythm Management Department, Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France. [Malaczynska-Rajpold K] Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals, Guy’s & St Thomas (NHS Foundation Trust), London, UK. [Perrotta L] Arrhythmia Unit, Department of Cardiothoracovascular Medicine, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy. [Manninger M] Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. [Vanduynhoven P] Department of Cardiology, Arrhythmia Clinic, Algemeen Stedelijk Ziekenhuis Aalst, Aalst, Belgium. [Nesti M] Arrhythmia Unit, Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
Vall d'Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus
2023-08-24T08:22:54Z
2023-08-24T08:22:54Z
2023-08-02
Occupational health; Pregnancy; Radiation exposure
Salud ocupacional; Embarazo; Exposición a la radiación
Salut ocupacional; Embaràs; Exposició a la radiació
Aims Electrophysiology (EP) is a growing field in cardiology, with an increasing involvement of young people. Nevertheless, concerns about radiation exposure and its impact on reproduction and pregnancy may discourage the choice of an EP career. The study is aimed at investigating the level of awareness and main sources of concern about the effects of radiation on reproductive potential and pregnancy, exploring the safety measures adopted in different EP labs, and verifying the adherence to the current guidelines. Methods and results An online survey was conducted using the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) infrastructure from April to June 2022. A total of 252 EP personnel (42% women) participated, from 50 countries and different professional roles. Most participants expressed concerns regarding the effects of radiation on reproductive capacity (67.1%) and offspring diseases (68.2%). Only 37.9% of participants were aware of the EHRA 2017 consensus document about occupational radiation exposure. Most participants (80.9%) considered that occupational radiation during pregnancy is not safe. EP female staff were not allowed to work in the EP lab during pregnancy in 48.1% of cases. Zero-fluoroscopy was the preferred choice to continue working in the EP lab during pregnancy. Conclusion EP staff, including both men and women, have concerns about the effects of radiation on reproductive capacity. Despite the recommendations issued by international bodies, implementation of the policies regarding pregnancy and occupational radiation exposure is heterogeneous. Zero-fluoroscopy is the preferred approach to ensure safety during pregnancy in the EP lab.
Article
Published version
English
Radiació - Efectes fisiològics; Electrofisiologia; DISCIPLINES AND OCCUPATIONS::Natural Science Disciplines::Biological Science Disciplines::Biophysics::Electrophysiology::Cardiac Electrophysiology; PHENOMENA AND PROCESSES::Physical Phenomena::Radiation::Radiation Exposure; DISCIPLINAS Y OCUPACIONES::disciplinas de las ciencias naturales::disciplinas de las ciencias biológicas::biofísica::electrofisiología::electrofisiología cardíaca; FENÓMENOS Y PROCESOS::fenómenos físicos::radiación::exposición a la radiación
Oxford University Press
EP Europace;25(9)
https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euad216
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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