Simple Approach Reduces Radiation Exposure During Wrist ORIFs
A "shot clock" cut radiation dose by nearly half
What’s the Claim?
We all want to be mindful of the radiation dose we expose ourselves and our teams to during cases that use fluoroscopy. Personal protective equipment is helpful, but most of us draw the line on how much of it we can tolerate. In a recent study, a real-time radiograph counter displayed below the screen — the authors called it a “shot clock” — kept tabs on the number of images shot and provided feedback to surgeons. It was associated with:
- A nearly 50% reduction in the number of images taken during distal radius fracture ORIFs
- Lower total radiation doses (0.8 vs 0.5 mGy) and radiation exposure times (42 vs 24 seconds) and shorter surgical time overall (from 81 to 70 minutes)
- No differences in the quality of fracture reductions
