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The decreased trend in fluoroscopy time has mutual relationship with documentation of fluoroscopy time – is a substitutive indicator of radiation dosage.

Fluoroscopy time documentation in the report culminates to decreased fluoroscopy time.

Fluoroscopy System

The medical research study was conducted by Stephen Darling, Marla Sammer, Teresa Chapman and Marguerite T. Parisi from the Departments of Radiology (University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital), Seattle, WA.

The study is available in online journal of American Roentgen Ray Society. Fluoroscopy time is the pointer of radiation usage in fluoroscopy, and the research objective was to evaluate mean fluoroscopy time of examinations with recorded fluoroscopy time in the report, to mean time without documentation, on voiding cystourethrography/micturating cystourethrogram studies.

Database records from June 2002-March 2009 were tracked down from radiology information system, for voiding cystourethrography examinations with documented fluoroscopy time. The radiology report were even recognized out that had recorded fluoroscopy time for examinations. Mean fluoroscopy times were calculated for subsequent groups, viz. voiding cystourethrography examinations, recorded examinations without and with fluoroscopy time.

About 10,594 voiding cystourethrography examinations were being carried out in the span of 7-year study period. The mean fluoroscopy time was 47 seconds for all the examinations, of which 32 seconds for examinations with recorded fluoroscopy time, and 50 seconds for examinations without reported fluoroscopy time. The statistical significant deviation was found amid examinations with and without recorded fluoroscopy time by radiologists. Mean fluoroscopy time for all the voiding cystourethrography examinations showed decreasing trend, as during 2002-2003, the mean fluoroscopy time was 65 seconds, but during 2008-2009 it decreased down to 29 seconds. The recorded fluoroscopy time over the period from radiologists showed the increasing trend, as from 1% in 2002-2003, it jumped to 82% during 2008-2009.

Conclusion: The decreased trend in fluoroscopy time has mutual relationship with documentation of fluoroscopy time, which is a substitutive indicator of radiation dosage. Part of radiation awareness strategy – fluoroscopy time documentation in the report culminates to decreased fluoroscopy time.