Health InsuranceJournal Of Vascular And Interventional Radiology: New Patient Radiation Safety Guidelines
"Society of Interventional Radiology 2009 Standards Division Guidelines" is the
subject of a special supplement to the July issue of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
SIR-a national organization of physicians, scientists and allied health professionals dedicated to
improving public health through disease management and minimally invasive, image-guided therapeutic
interventions-provides a unique collection of new (such as radiation dose management) and previously
published clinical practice guidelines developed since 2003 through its Standards Division.
"The supplement includes "Guidelines for Patient Radiation Dose Management," a significant new
document providing guidance on the safe use of fluoroscopy for interventional radiologists performing
procedures on adult patients and children utilizing fluoroscopy. The safe use of fluoroscopy has always
been a primary concern for interventional radiologists," said Michael S. Stecker, M.D., FSIR, an
interventional radiologist and assistant professor at Brigham and Women"s Hospital in Boston, Mass. This
radiation management guideline, tailored to interventional radiology practice, emphasizes the need for
increased diligence to safely manage the risks of radiation exposure from such procedures as embolization
(including chemoembolization for cancer); transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation
for liver disease; and renal and/or visceral artery angioplasty and/or stent placement.
"The value of medical imaging is great and the risks of radiation dose are generally negligible
compared to the health benefits of having a needed procedure or treatment. However, there are times when
a significant radiation dose may need to be administered, and this needs to be properly handled," said
Stecker. Due to the scope of the project, the standardized guidelines were developed over the past two years
and are for use both in the United States and internationally, having been created in collaboration with and
endorsed by the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe.
"SIR developed the guidelines collection to improve the quality of clinical care and published research
relevant to the practice of interventional radiology," said Albert A. Nemcek Jr., M.D., FSIR, editor of
JVIR, a peer-reviewed, monthly publication long recognized for its exceptional quality and influence as an
academic and professional re. "Members of SIR"s Standards Division have continued to develop new
content as well as to revise older documents as appropriate," added the interventional radiologist at
Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Ill.
The 376-page collection guest-edited by John F. Cardella, M.D., FSIR, includes quality improvement
guidelines, safety guidelines new from 2003, consensus documents, credentialing statements, policy and
position statements and technology assessment documents. One new feature added since the 2003
supplement is emerging technologies articles; these state-of-the-art works are written by thought leaders in
emerging topics, such as nanotechnology, genetic therapy and digital detectors in computed tomography.
Also included are position statements, defining not only SIR"s position on a new technique or procedure,
but also the societal position on such topics as the role of clinical associates in interventional radiology.
There are several such collaborative documents with like-minded societies, adding strength to the
collection, said Nemcek.
In the supplement"s introduction, Cardella and his collaborating colleagues, Sanjoy Kundu, M.D.,
FSIR; Donald L. Miller, M.D., FSIR; Steven F. Millward, M.D., FSIR; and David Sacks, M.D., FSIR, offer
the hope that "....these documents help you in optimizing the quality of care for patients, assuring
consistency and comparability in the publication of clinical and basic science research, establishing quality
assurance programs with action thresholds and learn about "new topics on the horizon" for interventional
radiology."
The Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, can be
viewed online at http://www.jvir.org. For more information, contact Noemi C. Arthur, SIR director of
publications and JVIR managing editor, by sending an e-mail to narthur@SIRweb.org or by calling (703)
460-5593. A yearly subscription to the journal is $404 for individuals and $561 for institutions. A free
journal subscription is a benefit of SIR membership. More information about the Society of Interventional
Radiology, interventional radiologists and how to find an interventional radiologist in your area can be
found online at http://www.SIRweb.org.
Society of Interventional Radiology