Re: question concerning stress tests

["Richard Smart" <r.smart@unsw.edu.au>]

Dear Jaro,



Some centres, including my own, use a combination of Tl201 and

Tc99m-Cardiolite (Tl201 for the rest phase and Cardiolite for the stress).

It is possible that your passenger had this combination.



If Tc99m Cardiolite had been used for both the rest and stress phases of the

study, the combined activity could be around 1500 MBq.  After 4 days, that

would have decayed (excluding any biological excretion) to around 25 kBq.



Richard



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

From: "Jaro" <jaro-10kbq@sympatico.ca>

To: "RADSAFE" <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 6:26 AM

Subject: question concerning stress tests





> A question concerning stress tests from another listserv I subscribe

to.....

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: cdn-nucl-l-admin@mailman1.cis.McMaster.CA

> [mailto:cdn-nucl-l-admin@mailman1.cis.McMaster.CA]

> Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 12:53 PM

> To: cdn-nucl-l@mailman1.cis.mcmaster.ca

> Subject: [cdn-nucl-l] Radiological/Nuclear Detection Portals

>

>

> <snip>

> It did remind me of an incident my wife reported following a bus trip to

the

> US with a group of seniors about a year ago. The lead bus she was on went

> through the border inspection without delay.  The second one was pulled

over

> and all the passengers were taken inside.

>

> Apparently radiation had been detected from the bus. The passengers were

> then screened. Allegedly the border personnel advised one he had had been

> through a “Cardiolite” stress test. It had been done 4 or 5 days earlier.

> The passengers were very impressed with this apparently routine detective

> work.

>

> My wife has had both Thallium and Cardiolite stress tests. She recalls the

> procedure being slightly different.  A check on the Internet indicates

> Technetium-99m is the “nuclear agent” in Cardiolite. It has a half life of

> only 6 hours. Thallium 201 with a half life of about 3 days is used for

> thallium stress tests.

>

> It seems to me there would be little Technetium-99m left to detect after 4

> days. Maybe lay  people use the “Cardiolite” name loosely to describe both

> types of tests? However, I’m just a mechanical engineer. Perhaps a nuclear

> expert could judge the veracity of my wife’s travel story and comment on

the

> ability of border patrols to detect nuclear materials?

> --

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