Medical Radiation to Children with Congenital Heart Disease

A retrospective analysis was made of the source of medical radiation received by 25 children who were investigated by cardiac catheterization techniques and followed in the Cardiac Outpatient Clinic of the Health Centre for Children, Vancouver General Hospital. The source of radiation was analyzed. The r dose per year received from plane films averaged 0.05 r, from cardiac fluoroscopy 6.7 r, and from catheterization and angiocardiography studies 1.58 r per year. In six of the 25 children, radiation doses to the thorax exceeded the LD₅₀ for adult humans. In these six patients 95.8% of the radiation received was during cardiac fluoroscopy. Routine fluoroscopy for the radiological re-evaluation of pediatric patients with congenital heart disease should be replaced by plain chest radiographs.