Answer to Question #12983 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"
Category: Medical and Dental Equipment/Shielding
The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:
I'm an interventionalist who spends about 75% of my week doing fluoroscopic injections. I hadn't thought about this until recently, but am I at an increased risk of malignancy, radiation damage, etc., due to my insulin pump? Not the fact that I have an autoimmune disease, but simply the thought that my insulin pump is subcutaneously injecting insulin post-radiation exposure. I suppose it's usually covered by the lead apron depending on where it is on my body, but I was just curious if anyone had any insight into this.
This has been an interesting topic in the last few years. The United States Food and Drug Administration posted a statement that indicates this is a rare occurrence and the only times it has occurred are when the insulin pump is worn by a patient and the pump enters the primary x-ray beam of a computerized tomography (CT) scanner. It apparently is not an issue when the insulin pump is in the primary beam of other x-ray units (radiographic, fluoroscopic, etc.).
The statement also goes on to state that even when the pump is in the primary x-ray beam of a CT scanner, the chances of an adverse event are extremely low, and that the CT scan should still be performed if necessary.
In addition, since the only occurrences have been in primary x-ray beam, then it is not an issue for non-patients since those persons should never be in the primary x-ray beam.
Based on this, there should be no risk regarding x-ray exposure of your insulin pump while you perform interventional fluoroscopy procedures.
Kennith "Duke" Lovins, CHP