A survey among female cardiology fellows has shown a higher rate of obstetrical complications among cardiology trainees than those reported among women in the general population.
Published in JAMA Cardiology, the research surveyed cardiologists across the USA who were ever pregnant during cardiology fellowship training. Among the 60 pregnancies included in the study, the research team found higher rates of obstetrical complications among cardiology trainees than those reported among women in the general population: 15% experienced miscarriage, 8% low birth weight, 3% pre-term delivery, and 7% other complications like pre-eclampsia, eclampsia and emergent C-section, study first author Leila Haghighat (University of California, San Francisco [UCSF], San Francisco, USA) and colleagues report.
“Thirty-three percent of pregnancies in our study involved obstetrical complications, which is higher than rates reported among age-matched women not in medicine,” said Haghighat, a cardiologist, former UCSF cardiology fellow and UCSF volunteer assistant clinical professor of Medicine. “Our study adds to a growing body of research that suggests medical training itself is possibly associated with excess obstetrical risk.”
The researchers also found variability in the enforcement of radiation safety policies among hospitals. While most pregnant trainees reported they had well-fitted protective gear and could obtain personal and foetal they were unable to reliably access data from them to ensure their exposure was in safe amounts. Survey respondents also believed that better access to and advice from experienced female colleagues during their training could help them avoid unnecessary pregnancy risks.
Based on their findings, the researchers proposed several strategies for improving radiation safety, including monthly reports of individual and foetal radiation exposure, standardisation of safety best practices and protective gear across training sites, and adoption of new radiation technology.
While the researchers surveyed cardiology trainees, other medical specialties such as vascular surgery, orthopaedic surgery, interventional radiology, advanced gastroenterology, and urology also use X-rays and fluoroscopy to guide procedures.
“We hope to catalyse medical professionals with regular radiation exposure to develop strategies for enforcing radiation safety best practices,” said Haghighat. “To take good care of their patients, medical professionals need to be able to take good care of themselves, too.”
