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William,
I appreciate your intention but if the police is not trained on how to
use detectors and what they might expect to find in the "urban wilderness", they
(police) simply don't deserve to have meters. I hope that the situation is not
desperate in the US to the point that a 3 mR/h reading on a person will start a
HAZMAT-SWAT operation... Hope they will discuss with the individual before using
their guns...
Gary (Hi Gary !) has the only valid and reasonable solution: Educate
the patient, educate the police officers.
Are the police officers also equipped with portable CVD (Chemical
Vapor Detectors) that also use Ni-63 the same way conventional ECD (Electron
Capture Detector) in GC (Gas Chromatography) are used ? Do they have wipes to
take biological samples on persons in the subway ?
Are they aware that a properly shielded source is not likely to be
detected (but may be hard to carry ?)
Just being cynical a bit :-)
My opinion...
Stéphane Jean-François, Eng., CHP, -----Original Message-----
From: Gary Wilson [mailto:Gary.Wilson@cdha.nshealth.ca] Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 7:26 AM To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu; William.Lorenzen@TCH.Harvard.edu Subject: Re: Radioiodine Therapy - Identification Card? We do not issue any identification for patients receiving less
than 30 mCi (1100 MBq). They are given instruction sheets with precautions and
contact numbers at the hospital. For outpatient therapy greater than 30
mCi we are looking at a hospital wrist band that indicates the patient
contains radioactive material and has an emergency contact number. They
would wear this for five days following the treatment dose. Incidentally, the
band would not have a radiation symbol, just simple text. They are
also given instruction sheets with precautions, and contact numbers. There would
still be activity following the five days but this may help in the initial
period when most of the activity is in the patient.
In my opinion only.
Gary Wilson
Radiation Safety Officer
Capital Health
Halifax, Nova Scotia
>>> "William A. Lorenzen" <William.Lorenzen@TCH.Harvard.edu> 02/04/03 03:40pm >>> Has anyone considered providing I-131 therapy outpatients with some form of identification that could be used if stopped by police or other officials who are now equipped with radiation detectors? Something that identifies the isotope, date of administration and the institution P.O.C.? A wallet sized card perhaps.....Any thoughts or examples out there???? Thanks William A. Lorenzen, MS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |