A new radiation safety organization, the Organization for Occupational Radiation Safety in Interventional Fluoroscopy (ORSIF), has been launched.
Composed of industry representatives, physicians, and staff from interventional fluoroscopy labs, ORSIF seeks to generate awareness of the potential serious health risks linked to the use of fluoroscopy in hospital catheterization labs and outpatient radiographic diagnostic laboratories, the organization said.
As part of its official launch, ORSIF has released a white paper, entitled "Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation in Interventional Fluoroscopy: Severity of Adverse Effects of a Growing Health Problem."
The paper explores existing scientific evidence for adverse health effects among medical professionals who perform interventional procedures, musculoskeletal hazards that arise from personal protective equipment used by physicians performing interventional procedures, contrasts between U.S. radiation exposure guidelines and those recommended by international radiation protection agencies, and ideas for ways to increase occupational safety in interventional fluoroscopy.
