This study looked at the overall radiation exposure for patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation (AFib). All study patients underwent first radiofrequency ablation for AFib (n=144). Mean effective dose was 11.4 mSv, 82% of which came from the computed tomography scan. “Overall exposure to ionizing radiation for patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation seems acceptable, and the majority of the overall effective dose comes from the computed tomography,” the researchers wrote. “Obese patients are exposed to a 75% higher dose than normal-weight patients.”
Faroux L, et al. Am J Cardiol. 2019;doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2019.07.018
