Re: medical isotopes - patient expense

[John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>]

Since you received a diagnostic Tc-99m scan, you would

not receive any instructions on precautions to members

of the public, baby or otherwise.  Instructions are

required if the dose was 150 mCi.  Requirements for

release of patients are found in Appendix U of

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1556/v9/



Note that there is no requirement to provide a note to

security personnel informing them that you have had a

nuclear medicine test.  



The problem with patients not being informed that they

are getting a medical test involving x-ray exposure or

the injection of radionuclides is not a new one.  The

issue is getting patients in and out of the clinic,

not education.  Sorry.  That is life in the medical

world.  



--- "Celia Rajkovich, RRPT" <celiar@andrew.cmu.edu>

wrote:

> How much more could it possibly cost an institution

> to type up instructions 

> for each radioisotope test they provide, run them

> off (bulk)and hand them 

> out to the patients along with the discharge

> instructions.

> The hospitals in my area do not tell you the

> "details" of your 

> "radioisotope procedure" nor do they provide

> discharge instructions 

> pertaining to the rad part of the procedure.

> I know this because I had a thyroid scan last year.

> I received no details 

> before I arrived at the hospital and I was not asked

> any questions at the 

> hospital. I asked the technician what the activity

> of the Tc-99m was right 

> before he injected me.(Boy was he surprised!). Yes,

> I asked him to please 

> check that the activity was correct.

> Following the test,the supervisor brought the film

> in for me to view. It 

> turned in to a field trip.

> I was a walking high rad area when I got home. If I

> were not a HP I would 

> never have known. Some might say that if we don't

> know we are better off 

> (stress etc.)I'm not buying that! I could have went

> home to a baby, been 

> pregnant or maybe I worked in a nursery/daycare and

> was going to work 

> afterwards.

> I think a little extra effort from the nuc med staff

> is needed.

> 

> 

. . .



=====

+++++++++++++++++++

"Eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty and . . . you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing."

Andrew Jackson



-- John

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist

e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com



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