RE: A Question for Power Reactor Types and others with portal monitors.

["Vernig, Peter G." <Peter.Vernig@MED.VA.GOV>]

Wes,

 

I can't speak for other facilities.  But the Techs here do not say that it

will be gone in a day or two or that you'll never see it.  WRT "never see

it." that would of course be literally true.  Except under very special

circumstance you can't see X or gamma radiation.  The Techs do say that

there are no side effects, that they won't feel anything from it, and that

it will be excreted quickly.  I guess that last is sort of incorrect.  But

quickly is relative and theoretically it is never gone entirely.  Perhaps

they should say that it will be 90% gone in a couple of days [for Tc-99m].

But honestly patients and people in general often do not retain the spoken

message very accurately and interpret or hear what they want to hear.  And

often some of them are confused.  Many patients here think that the iodine

based contrast used in some of the x-ray procedures, or barium [swallow or

enema] or chemotherapy drugs are radioactive.  And some in Nuclear Medicine

do not seem to understand that the cameras are not just a different kind of

x-ray machine.

 

Undoubtedly some techs do as you say but I think that in at least as many

cases where that happens there is misunderstanding by the patient due to the

general lack of understanding of radiation and radioactive materials by the

public.



Any opinions expressed in this message are mine alone and do not necessarily

represent those of the Eastern Colorado VA Health Care System, The

Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States Government.



Peter G. Vernig 

Radiation Safety Officer, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, 1055

Clermont St. Denver, CO 80220, ATTN:  RSO MS 115; peter.vernig@med.va.gov;

personal peter_vernig@hotmail.com; 303.399.8020 ext. 2447, FAX: 303.393-5026

Alternate fax 303-377-5686



"...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is

pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is found to be

excellent or praiseworthy, let your mind dwell on these things."

Paul of Tarsus



-----Original Message-----

From: Wes Van Pelt [mailto:WesVanPelt@att.net]

Sent: Friday, April 09, 2004 8:44 AM

To: 'Sewell, Linda'; Radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Subject: RE: A Question for Power Reactor Types and others with portal

monitors.







Linda and All,



 



A common thread throughout which confuses the matter is that the folks doing

the tests routinely tell the people that we'll never see it or that it will

be gone in just a day or two.  The bottom line is, as well all know, if you

start off with a BUNCH of activity (millicuries) you still have a BUNCH of

activity (from a portal or gate monitor standpoint)  even after 7-10

half-lives.



 



Actually, if you start off with a BUNCH of activity you have a milli-BUNCH

after 10 half lives.



 



Happy Holidays to all.



 



Best regards,



Wes Van Pelt