Radiation doses and associated risks from cardiac catheterizations in children and young adults
Dr Mark Pearce and his team at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne are studying the risks associated with tests and treatments that involve radiation. Doctors can diagnose and treat heart problems in babies and young children using cardiac catheterisation, where they insert a wire-like tube into a blood vessel and guide it to the heart using X-rays. X-rays can also be used alongside special dyes to look at heart structure or to carry out procedures such as correcting narrowed vessels or repairing heart wall defects. While they enable doctors to diagnose and treat various heart conditions without major surgery, patients, especially children who have several tests, can receive high doses of radiation. We must understand if there are long-term cancer risks from these exposures. In this project, Dr Pearce will establish a group, or cohort, of children and young adults in the UK who have received X-ray guided cardiac catheterisation. He will estimate the radiation doses they have received, and assess their risk of developing cancer. By understanding the long term risks associated from X-rays, cardiologists and doctors will be able to balance the benefits and risks of tests and treatments more accurately.
Project details
| Grant amount | £98,485 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 01 February 2015 |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Reference | PG/15/1/31217 |
| Status | Complete |
