[ RadSafe ] I-131 Patients and Taxi Driver

[Perrero, Daren]

The other possibility is for the patient to vomit during the trip home,
particularly if the physician didn't prescribe something to calm the
patient's stomach first.  Cleaning a cab is bad enough, but cleaning a
bus would be horrific.... Our rules in the States is that instructions
must be given to the patient if the potential exposure to a member of
the public is greater than 100 milliRem.  We are silent on a
<requirement> to inform the potentially exposed member of the public.  

Recent newspaper articles suggest that a few patients who are undergoing
these treatments are not even going home, but instead are taking the
'event' as an opportunity to check into a resort and seclude themselves
for a few days in a more 'pampered setting'.  I wonder what the
potential dose to a member of housekeeping or the resort's masseuse
might come out to be?

The opinions expresses are mine, all mine.....
I'm with the government and I'm here to help you.
daren.perrero(a)Illinois.gov



-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On
Behalf Of Peterson, Ken
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 3:02 PM
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: [ RadSafe ] I-131 Patients and Taxi Driver


Are you sure that the prohibition on public transport exists not to
prevent a dose to fellow passengers, but to avoid the additional
complications should a suicide bomber blow up the bus or bus station and
the patient? Would 200mCi be significant in the grander scheme?  There
have been a few bus bombings recently in Tel Aviv, I believe....


Ken Peterson

___________________________________________________________________

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:34:37 +0200
From: "Moshe Levita" <mlevita at tasmc.health.gov.il>
Subject: [ RadSafe ] I-131 Patients and Taxi driver
To: <radsafe at radlab.nl>
Message-ID: <006301c86ed3$aba57000$782e640a at tasmc.corp>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="windows-1255"

John,

Suppose the driver exposure will be 20 - 40 mr ( 100-200 mci patient ,
1hr at 1 meter). 
Do we have to inform him about his radioactive patient ?

Moshe Levita
Chief Physicist
Tel Aviv Medical Center

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I would first ask what would be the taxi driver's exposure be?
Decisions should be based on exposures, not on whether or not the
patient is radioactive.

Sandy Perle <sandyfl at cox.net> wrote:  It would be ethical to notify
anyone of an impending exposure. The patient would more likely not
receive a ride home. This is another example for the need of public
education.


-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com