Abstract:Objective: To evaluate the radiation exposure and protection methods for standard pain management procedures guided by X-ray fluoroscopy. Methods: One hundred and forty inpatient X-ray fluoroscopy-guided procedures from January 2021 to May 2021 in the Department of Pain Medicine of China-Japan Friendship Hospital were selected. Intraoperative X-ray fluoroscopy data of patients were obtained from the C-arm history data to find the average number of fluoroscopies and fluoroscopy time for standard pain management procedures. With a personal radiation dose tester, radiation dose rates were obtained at the surgical bed surface and 20cm, 40cm, and 60cm from the bed surface, respectively, when the image intensifier was located in both over-bed and under-bed positions. Radiation dose rates were also measured at 1m, 2m, and 3cm from the C-arm, when the lead plate glass (including right in the middle of the lead plate glass, at the edge of the lead plate glass, and 10cm outside the lead plate glass), the radiation-proof clothes were applied or unprotected. Results: "Short-term spinal cord stimulation" had the highest number of fluoroscopy with a radiation dose of 5.0 μSv. In comparison, "Low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation on the posterior ramus of spinal nerve μSv. When the image intensifier is over-bed, the radiation dose rate measured at 20 cm > 40 cm > 60 cm from bed surface (P < 0.01), and similar results were obtained for the image intensifier was in the under-bed position (P < 0.01). The radiation dose rate measured when the image intensifier in the over-bed position was significantly lower than when it was in the under-bed position (P < 0.01). With the image intensifier, over-bed and measure spot was 1 m from the C-arm, the radiation dose rate unprotected and at 10 cm outside the lead plate glass, were significantly higher than values measured at the inside of radiation-proof clothes, the edge and the center of lead plate glass (P < 0.01), and the similar results were gotten at 2 m from the C-arm. Still, the radiation dose rate decreased significantly (P < 0.01). When measured at 3 m from the C-arm, the radiation dose rate was close to the background radiation for all protection methods. The results were similar when the image intensifier was under-bed. Conclusion: The procedure with the highest radiation exposure for X-ray fluoroscopy-guided pain management is "Short-term spinal cord stimulation," The intraoperative radiation exposure dose is closely and negatively correlated with the distance. Both lead plates glass and radiation-proof clothes effectively reduce radiation exposure, and image intensifiers placed over-bed and away from the surgical bed can help reduce radiation exposure.