[ RadSafe ] Re: radsafe Digest, Vol 181, Issue 3

[Philip Egidi]

Glad I put a question mark after my second dose, I stand corrected, it must have been about 40 mCi. 
Thanks.
PVE


>>> On 1/26/2009 at 1:25 PM, in message <AC0B8159521D3F459393AE5753158482E1ECCC3659 at EVS4.clinlan.local>, "Goudy, Glenn" <goudygh at musc.edu> wrote:
In the cardiolite test the first dose is between 5 and 20 mCi.  The second dose is approzimately 40  to 50 mCi max.  Larger doses case the cameras to become saturated and the cardiac tissue cannot be properly imaged.  In the case of a very large individual the second dose is 50 mCi on the first day with a 50 mCi dose administered the following day.  If the patient is administered Tl-201 then the radioacitve material will reside within the patient for a longer period. Assuming a 3 day half life and biological release fo 48 hours the patient can remain radioactive up to 3 weeks and there have been instances where patients have set off portal detectors at Nuclear Facilities when entering the facility after 4 weeks post stress test.

Glenn Goudy
RSO 
MUSC

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf Of Philip Egidi
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 3:18 PM
To: David North; radsafe at radlab.nl 
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Re: radsafe Digest, Vol 181, Issue 3

I had a Cardiolite (Tc-99m) stress test a few months ago, and was radiating pretty good for about a week. My readings were consistent with what you are reporting, although I didn't write them down. 

The amount administered probably varies according to the patients size (let's not go there).  If I remember correctly, they gave two administrations, one only a few millicuries, the second much more (~140 mCi?). I do remember that I was > 5 mR/h at 1m the first day (my Ludlum Model 19 only goes up to 5 mR/h). I believe it still showed about 2 mR/h @ 1 foot (note the change in distance) after three days. When I demonstrated the inverse square law to my family using myself as the source, my wife thought that a good enough reason for me to sleep on the couch for a few nights! She noted that I was hotter than the ore and mill tailings samples I keep out in the shed, so off to the couch I went. At least she didn't make me sleep in the shed! Yet.
Phil Egidi
CDPHE

>>> On 1/26/2009 at 12:10 PM, in message <4AFD287104F71D48A958EFCB1DCC118402FFF331 at LSRIEXCH1.lsmaster.lifespan.org>, "North, David" <DNorth at Lifespan.org> wrote:
Some medical radionuclides do have short half-lives. However, thallium-201 is sometimes used for the cardiac imaging, and has a half-life of a bit over 3 days. Plus, it tends to be excreted relatively slowly. If you friend had a technetium-99m radiopharmaceutical for the exam (half-life about 6 hours), I don't know what the answer might be.

David L. North, Sc.M., DABR
Associate Physicist
Medical Physics
Main Bldg. Rm 317
Rhode Island Hospital
593 Eddy St.
Providence, RI 02903
(401)444-5961
fax: (401)444-4446
dnorth at lifespan.org 



> ----------
> From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl on behalf of 
> al at solidsurfacealliance.org 
> Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 19:30
> To: radsafe at radlab.nl 
> Subject: [ RadSafe ] Re: radsafe Digest, Vol 181, Issue 3
> 
> 
> 
> Hi All,
>  
> I friend of mine had a stress test on Tuesday, heart patient, had some stents installed a few weeks back.   About a foot away from his chest, my PM 1703 Gamma Scintillator was reading over 2,500 uR/hr.   This was Saturday night, at least four full days after the procedure.
>  
> Is this unusual?  I thought most of those medical isotopes had very short half lives.
>  
> Thanks,
>  
> Al
>  
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