Achievable radiation reduction during pediatric cardiac catheterization: How low can we go?

Objectives To assess the effectiveness of radiation‐reduction measures implemented during pediatric catheterization, and provide data on the radiation doses for common interventional and diagnostic procedures, indexed to body weight. Background Ionizing radiation exposure must be minimized to “as low as reasonably achievable,” by instituting radiation‐limiting techniques and knowledge of expected radiation exposure. Methods Radiation‐reduction measures included pulsed‐fluoroscopy at 7.5 pulses/second (0.032–0.045 µGy/pulse), an air‐gap magnification technique for children 30 kg, P