Lack of radiological awareness among physicians working in a tertiary-care cardiological centre

Abstract

Background: Medical irradiation is the most important artificial source of exposure to ionising radiations in Europe and implies biorisks.

Aim: To assess the level of radiological awareness in a tertiary-care referral centre of adult-pediatric cardiological excellence.

Methods: One hundred physicians (31 women, age=41+/-8 years) were polled with a simple, one-page, multiple choice questionnaire. Twenty-five physicians worked in a pediatric, 75 in an adult cardiology centre.

Results: Eighty-nine of the polled physicians wrongly estimated the contribution of nuclear and radiological tests in overall radiation exposure of average US inhabitant as <0.01% (36% of physicians) or <1% (31%) or <10% (22%) (correct answer given by 11% of physicians: >10%). Ninety-five physicians wrongly estimated the risk of fatal cancer associated with a stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy procedure as "zero" (48%) or "<1 in 10 million"(19%) or "<1 in 1 million" (28%) (correct answer given by 5%: >1 in 10,000 tests). Seventy-one wrongly estimated the dose exposure of a myocardial stress perfusion scintigraphy as equal to one (13%), or one-half (9%), or three times (49%) that of a chest X-ray (correct answer given by 29%: 500 times). The average level of radiological awareness was not correlated to the number of radiological-nuclear exams performed/prescribed per year and to the type of (adult or pediatric) working environment.

Conclusion: Physicians working in an adult and pediatric cardiological environment of excellence are largely unaware of environmental impact, biorisks and dose exposure of the ionising exams they prescribe and/or perform daily.