W.S.B.—A fluoroscopy C-arm communication strategy

BackgroundGood communication between an operating clinician and the attending radiographer when using C-arm fluoroscopy is vital. Efficient and safe use of ionising radiation protects all theatre staff. The object of this study was to design and test a single communication language for use in all fluoroscopy-assisted procedures.MethodA clinician guiding a radiographer performed a control ‘no-rules’ experiment of 56 targeting manoeuvres with a fluoroscopic C-arm on a scientific model. A single beam laser replaced the usual ionising radiation beam. The time taken for each targeting along with the laser exposure required was recorded. Following a period of instruction, the experiment was repeated using only our pre-defined communication strategy. The data was collected for statistical analysis.ResultsA statistically significant reduction was seen in the time taken for each targeting manoeuvre and the laser exposure required when using our strategy.ConclusionThis study shows that using our pre-prepared communication strategy could significantly improve efficiency and safety of fluoroscopic C-arm use.