Will multiple interventional procedures increase the risk of erythema?
The general answer to this question is ‘yes’, as higher doses imply a higher risk or erythema. However, ‘splitting’ the delivery a particular amount of ionizing radiation over multiple sessions can reduce effects of erythema. Radiation effects tend to be cumulative, with the possibility of repair in-between two consecutive exposures. If there is a time gap between two interventional procedures, repair processes enable the skin to tolerate higher radiation; the repair processes depend upon the time gap and the number of times the radiological procedure is repeated. There is a lack of direct information on this in relation to dose effects from X rays of diagnostic range. Information on skin repair is primarily available in relation to high energy radiation as used in radiotherapy. For example, with three fractions administered at 200 kV, the erythema dose is 11 Gy instead of the 6 – 8 Gy from a single dose of 200 kV. With 10 fractions, a total dose of 16.5 Gy is necessary, and with 30 fr
