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RE: Nuclear Medicine Patients and Homeland Security
Here is a link for the Information Notice mentioned. I could not find it on the NRC site.
http://acnp.snm.org/index.cfm?PageID=1917&RPID=60
Interestingly, with regards to the recent discussion on disclosing the capability of the security detectors, the case discussed in this document involved 370 MBq (10 mCi) of I-131 setting "off a radiation detector IN a tunnel" (emphasis mine). I thought that was pretty impressive. I wonder if the detector was actually in the tunnel. The description does not say where the State Police pulled over the bus but I hope it was before they entered the tunnel. I have noticed on trips to the Boston airport that there is a State Police car parked about 100 yards from the entrance to the tunnel with lights flashing. I wonder what is the point of these detectors. Is it to protect the tunnel from some atomic or dirty bomb or is it just a convenient check point to stop the transit of such devices?
The notice goes on to state that patients containing less than the instruction threshold (259 MBq / 7 mCi of I-131) might still set off radiation detector alarms. Let's see, if that corresponds to a dose rate of 0.02 mSv/h at 1m......
But then again, what difference does portal sensitivity information make? There are so many ports of entry and transport routes I doubt that these detectors are going to hinder the "professional" terrorists. They will more likely contribute to at least two of the terrorist goals: the disruption of our way of life and the diversion of our resources.
Well off to make another revision to our patient instructions. Good thing I had not submitted the last revision (where I added examples of "mass public transportation") to the translators yet!
Hobie Shackford, RSO
Roger Williams Hospital
Providence, RI
401-456-2471
hshackford@rwmc.org
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu]On Behalf Of William V Lipton
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 7:26 AM
To: Radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
Subject: Nuclear Medicine Patients and Homeland Security
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
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