[ RadSafe ] Radiation scare tactics - Hospital response

[Robert Atkinson]

Some hospitals have very odd ideas about contamination. A keen and experienced "amateur" (who is on this list) had his alarming ratemeter alarm in a hospital cafeteria (he was visiting a patient). He suspected it was a bodily fluid spill from a diagnostic scan patient. He tried to report it and to cut a long story short, ended up being arrested and held for psychological evaluation! It might be worth pointing out to the hospitals that some of their nuclear medicine patients are more "contaminated" than a possibe RDD victim.
 
Robert Atkinson
G8RPI

--- On Thu, 29/4/10, Brennan, Mike (DOH) <Mike.Brennan at DOH.WA.GOV> wrote:


From: Brennan, Mike (DOH) <Mike.Brennan at DOH.WA.GOV>
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Radiation scare tactics
To: JOHN.RICH at sargentlundy.com, radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Date: Thursday, 29 April, 2010, 18:20


<SNIP>
As for hospitals; it is almost embarrassing the way some of the policy
makers react to the possibility of contamination.  The was one that
spent several hundred thousand dollars for a tent and decon suite, with
the idea that in the case of something that MIGHT be an RDD all patients
would be deconned before being allowed into the ER.  They were
unconvinced when it was pointed out that measures to control pathogens
are quite effective in stopping the spread of radioactive contamination.
The finally gave up the preemptive decon when it was pointed out that
people would die from delayed treatment, and that the hospital would be
sued and loose. 

-----Original Message-----