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RE: saftey of being in the proximity of someone on RAI therapy
I do hope that the authorities have been things to do.
What is generally done in the waste shipment is set
aside and allowed to decay. Of course, I am assuming
that the landfill people have determined
spectroscopically that the waste in medical in nature,
e.g., I-131 or Tc-99m.
>From what I understand, this is what most states are
pushing the landfill operators to do. I am not sure
about Colorado.
--- "Neil, David M" <neildm@id.doe.gov> wrote:
> Giving out records would not necessarily be how they
> trace it. If the material is in a trash bag with a
> get well card to Aunt Hildegarde that has her
> address, the presumptive conclusion would be that
> she disposed of it.
>
> Dave Neil
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: daleboyce@charter.net
> [mailto:daleboyce@charter.net]
> Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2004 2:30 PM
> To: Philip Egidi; kb1ipd@HOTMAIL.COM;
> owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu;
> radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu; crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM
> Subject: Re: saftey of being in the proximity of
> someone on RAI therapy
>
>
> Phil,
>
> If the suits show up with a bill, I think the
> lawsuit against the hospital
> for giving out confidential medical records would
> more than cover it! ;)
>
> Dale
> daleboyce@charter.net
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Philip Egidi" <phil.egidi@state.co.us>
> To: <kb1ipd@HOTMAIL.COM>;
> <owner-radsafe@list.Vanderbilt.Edu>;
> <radsafe@list.Vanderbilt.Edu>;
> <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>
> Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2004 12:52 PM
> Subject: Re: saftey of being in the proximity of
> someone on RAI therapy
>
>
> > And PLEASE have your friend follow the
> instructions given (hopefully) by
> > the doctor/clinic/hospital as to disposal of
> wastes that may contain the
> > I-131 after she is released from patient care. Do
> NOT just throw paper
> > towels or anything that may contain body fluid
> (feces, urine, sweat,
> > vomit, etc), in the trash - it may set off alarms
> at the local landfill.
> > Your friendly state regulator (or less friendly
> hazmat response team)
> > may end up dumping the load looking for the
> offending trash in order to
> > deal with it appropriately/ If the responders can
> trace the radioactive
> > trash back to your friend, she may get a visit
> from the suits, and
> > perhaps a bill for the effort.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Phil Egidi
> > Colorado
> >
> > >>> John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM> 08/19/04
> 07:42 AM >>>
> > Steve,
> > Your friend is being treated with I-131 to ablate
> any
> > remaining thyroid tissue. I-123 is an imaging
> agent,
> > which was probably used during a diagnostic scan
> to
> > assess her the extent of the cancerous thyroid and
> > uptake of iodine.
> >
> > Because she no longer has a functioning thyroid,
> > various hormonal and physiological problems will
> > develop. Eventually, she will be put on a
> synthetic
> > hormone that will have to be adjusted over time.
> Too
> > little, and the patient is lethargic. Too much,
> and
> > the patient is too hyper. I assume they have not
> > started her on replacement therapy because the
> want to
> > ensure that all of the cancerous thyroid tissue
> has
> > been destroyed.
> >
> > Your friends sinus problem may be a side effect of
> the
> > removal of the thyroid, or a totally unrelated
> effect.
> >
> > There are a number of Web sites dealing with
> thyroid
> > cancer try
> >
> http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_3x.asp?dt=43
> > and
> >
>
http://cancernet.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/types/thyroid/
> >
> > With regard to at home care, the precautions she
> is
> > asked to take are to ensure that exposures to the
> > public and family members as the I-131 decays.
> She
> > should have been given a date as to when she no
> longer
> > needs to follow these precautions.
> >
> > The precautions you discussed with probably
> provide
> > minimal protect to you. Potassium iodine would
> > protect your thyroid from uptake of radioiodine.
> > However, patients do not excrete significant
> amounts
> > of iodine. It is bound to the remanant throid
> tissue;
> > proper hand washing and sanitary activities, e.g.,
> > using separate eating utensils, precludes the
> spread
> > of contamination.
> >
> > The use of a leaded apron will provide no benefits
> to
> > protecting yourself from radiation emitted by your
> > friend. The radiation emitted by I-131 is high
> energy,
> > and the leaded apron protects against low energy
> x-ray
> > radiation. The best way to protect yourself is to
> > stand or some distance from your friend, e.g., 3
> to 6
> > feet, and not spend significant amounts of time.
> I
> > would avoid spending whole evenings watching TV
> with
> > her.
> >
> > It is also important to keep in mind that the
> > recommendation are precautionary. No harmful
> effects
> > have ever been shown to occur to caregivers who
> have
> > worked with therapy patients.
> >
> > --- Steve Packard <kb1ipd@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >
> > > Hello. I realize that this board is not
> normally
> > > concerned with nuclear
> > > medicine, but perhaps someone with a good health
> > > physics background could
> > > help me.
> > >
> > > I have a very good friend who a few years ago
> was
> > > diagnosed with thyroid,
> > > throat and lymphoid cancer. Her thyroid was
> > > removed and since then she has
> > > been given radiation therapy approximately every
> 6
> > > months.
> > >
> > > Her therapy consists of direct gamma irradiation
> of
> > > the neck region and
> > > ingestion of radioactive iodine. I believe
> the
> > > isotope is iodine-123, but
> > > she didn't know for sure what isotope of iodine
> is
> > > used. The iodine is
> > > administered in an attempt to eliminate any
> > > remaining thyroid tissue.
> > >
> > > The radiation therapy has the side effect of
> making
> > > her very ill,
> > > immediately after it is administered, and has
> the
> > > long term effect of
> > > causing her sinus problems.
> > >
> > > Her sinuses are chronically clogged and
> painfully
> > > filled with fluid that is
> > > impossible to drain. She has sinus infections
> > > frequently and has been on
> > > antibiotics so many times for sinus infections,
> that
> > > they are losing their
> > > effectiveness.
> > >
> > > I am not sure if it is the iodine treatment or
> the
>
=== message truncated ===
=====
+++++++++++++++++++
"Everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects."
Will Rogers
-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail: crispy_bird@yahoo.com
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