Nuclear Medicine Patients and Homeland Security

[William V Lipton <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM>]

Recalling an earlier Radsafe discussion on nuclear medicine patients who

alarm radiation detectors placed in critical infrastructure, the NRC has

issued Information Notice 2003-22, "Heightened Awareness For Patients

Containing Detectable Amounts of Radiation From Medicial

Administrations."  This Notice describes an event in which a nuclear

medicine patient, who had been released in accordance with 10 CFR 35.75,

alarmed a detector in a tunnel while on a bus from New York to Atlantic

City.  The discussion notes that the patient had disregarded the 10 CFR

35.75 written instructions, which stated that the patient should not use

public transportation for 2 days. Hence, the Notice recommends that,

"...authorized users are expected to evaluate the patient's capability

to follow recommended written instructions before release, to determine

if release at that time is advisable, and stress the importance to the

patient of following the written instructions."



The report also notes that patients who are below the threshold for

10 CFR 35.75 written instructions could still alarm radiation

detectors.  The Notice thus "recommends" that nuclear medicine

licensees:  (1) "... provide all patients that still contain delectable

[sic] amounts of radiation with an appropriate explanation about the

potential of alarming radiation monitoring equipment."  (2)

"...consider providing the patient with the licensee's business card and

written information for law enforcement use..."



In the previous discussion, I suggested that recommendation (1) should

be a regulation, and received many responses saying that the medical

community doesn't need a regulation to do this.  Now's your chance.



The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

It's not about dose, it's about trust.

Curies forever.



Bill Lipton

liptonw@dteenergy.com





************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To

unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the

text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,

with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/