Ionising radiation is essential in interventional cardiology, but it is associated with occupational health hazards1. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used to limit exposure to radiation, but because it is heavy and cumbersome, it may also have deleterious health effects2. New light radiation-attenuating materials can efficiently decrease scattered radiation originating from the patient. However, the increasing number and complexity of interventional cardiology procedures require a more global approach to minimise operator exposure to radiation. In collaboration with Lemer Pax, we designed and optimised the Cathpax AIR cabin to improve operator protection during structural procedures and also during coronary angiography and angioplasty. The feasibility of using the cabin during interventional cardiology procedures has been reported previously3. In the present prospective, randomised clinical study performed at Nantes University Hospital (France), we assessed the cabin’s performance regarding radiation protection and ergonomics during structural and coronary angiography/angioplasty procedures (no trial registration exists).
All procedures were randomised daily to be performed with or without the Cathpax AIR cabin (Supplementary Figure 1). The 4 participating interventional cardiologists (P. Guerin, J. Plessis, V....
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