RE: detecting medical isotopes at airport security

[Carol Marcus <csmarcus@ucla.edu>]

At 05:35 AM 11/24/2003, Thompson, Donald L. wrote:

>In regard to cards to identify nuclear medicine patients, it does not work

>for cochlear implant patients.  Airport personnel will not even look at the

>card when you offer it.

>

>Donald L. Thompson, PhD

>Center for Devices and

>Radiological Health, FDA

>

>Dear Don et al.:





At least by having patients produce some facts, those who monitor may 

streamline their checking system, such as calling the nuclear medicine 

service and verifying the procedure.



Some years ago, I was asked to get some spectra from patients with 

radiopharmaceuticals in their bodies for use by a DOE laboratory that was 

trying to separate those carrying radionuclides from those in whom it was 

internalized.  It was a "secret" project and I didn't have a clearance at 

the time, so I just collected the data and turned it over, no questions 

asked.  No funds exchanged hands, and I never found out what happened to 

the research.  If the guys on the DOE end of the TRIAGE program can spot 

internalized gamma emitters from external ones (assuming the detectors are 

sensitive enough to pick up the subtle shifts), maybe there will be less of 

a problem eventually.



Ciao, Carol



>-----Original Message-----

>From: Carol Marcus [mailto:csmarcus@ucla.edu]

>Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 7:12 PM

>To: knwachter@juno.com; radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

>Subject: Re: detecting medical isotopes at airport security

>

>

>At 12:46 PM 11/21/2003, knwachter@juno.com wrote:

>

> >Does anyone know of incidents where residual medical isotopes in a

> >traveller's body set off radiation monitors at an airport?  A cardiologist

> >mentioned to me that he had heard of Tl-201 a day or two after a cardiac

> >scan tripping alarms at some airports.  Just curious.

> >

> >knwachter@juno.com

>

>Dear Radsafers:

>

>I know that it has happened in the New York City subways recently and in

>government buildings in Washington, D.C. for years.   I know it has

>happened at the Athens Airport, some years ago.  I don't know if it has

>happened at US airports, but it should!  I understand that the scientists

>manning the DOE TRIAGE Program have gotten very good at spotting the

>spectra of radionuclides used in nuclear medicine.  I really think that

>patients who receive radiopharmaceuticals should be given a card the size

>of a credit card to carry in their wallet for a few weeks, and that the

>card contains all the relevant information and a number to call to

>check.  However, I guess that would now be a HIPAA violation!

>

>Ciao, Carol

>

>Carol S. Marcus, Ph.D., M.D.

><csmarcus@ucla.edu>

>

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