[ RadSafe ] Nuc Med pt x-contamination of other people

[ZIC Joe -PICKERING]

Brain,

Working at a nuclear station, our exit monitors are set at very low levels compared to what is measured on / from patients following radiopharmaceutical treatment.  We've seen everything from contamination being picked up on the floor around toilets to "cross contamination" from spouses.  Due to these complications, we have proceduralized that staff undergoing any radiopharmaceutical treatments contact us prior to returning to work, so that we can determine any required follow-up actions (i.e. limit access to the protected area of the station, calculate how long it will be before they can clear our entry / exit portal monitors, inform their supervision of work restrictions, etc...). 

Most of our staff are very surprised regarding how much dose they receive from these treatments / scans (compared to the low doses they receive at work) and how long it takes for them to clear our monitors (depending on the kind of radiopharmaceutical treatment they had).

Josip Zic   M.Sc, CHP
Health Physicist
Ontario Power Generation

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Brennan, Mike (DOH)
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 2:41 PM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Nuc Med pt x-contamination of other people

The wife of one of our lab people received I131 treatment for a thyroid
issue.  Her husband had to be excluded from the counting room, as he had
enough I131 on his person and clothing to be readily detected by several
of the counters.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Rees, Brian G
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 5:55 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Nuc Med pt x-contamination of other people

Is there any documented instances of a nuclear medicine patient
cross-contaminating another person?  I'm even interested in anecdotal
cases!

I promise I won't try to promote and market pills to protect anyone from
such events!

Thanks,
Brian Rees
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