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Re: saftey of being in the proximity of someone on RAI therapy
I've heard a story where someone was caught because his name and address
were on other items in the trash.
Tom
daleboyce@charter.net wrote:
>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
>>>direct irritation which
>>>has caused this damage to the sinus region.
>>>However, clearly there has
>>>been tissue damage from the radiation that is not
>>>healing. Does anyone
>>>know of any supplements, medications or techniques
>>>that are effective in
>>>promoting the healing of radiation damaged tissue,
>>>such as that in the
>>>sinuses?
>>>
>>>
>>>And on a related note:
>>>
>>>When my friend is given the radioactive iodine, she
>>>is ordered to stay alone
>>>in her home for over a week. She is told she
>>>cannot be within 25 feet of
>>>anyone else and cannot closely interact in any way.
>>> This is very
>>>difficult for her, especially because she becomes
>>>ill and would benefit from
>>>personal care.
>>>
>>>Would it be safe to spend time with her if I did the
>>>following: I Took
>>>potassium-iodine before being around her (incase
>>>somehow iodine excreted
>>>entered the environment), I wore a 1 mm thick lead
>>>radiological apron, lead
>>>kilt, thyroid protector, gonad protector,
>>>radiological lead-acrylic glasses,
>>>and .5 mm equivalent full-arm lead-rubber gloves.
>>>I also would wear a
>>>digital alarm dosimeter to verify that my time would
>>>stay within reasonable
>>>limits of safety.
>>>
>>>If I took these protective steps, would I be safe to
>>>spend a period of a
>>>couple hours a day with her?
>>>
>>>. . .
>>>
>>=====
>>+++++++++++++++++++
>>"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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