New NRC Reg Guide for patient release

["Dale E. Boyce" <dale@radpro.uchicago.edu>]

Time to get the soapbox back out.  I have received a copy of the
draft reg guide on release of patients dosed with radiopharmaceuticals.
It indicates that written instructions must be given to patients and
records kept of that instruction at levels significantly lower than
before.  My read of it would say that written instructions and records
would be required for all I-131 patients that have 6.5 mRem or more
remaining or a dose rate of 1 mRem per hour.  I don't know how this
affects other institutions, but my office does not even see patients
that receive less than 30 mCi of I-131.  Other isotopes are listed
with different limits, but none of the other common nuc med isotopes,
except Tc99m are listed.

OMB Paperwork Reduction Act strikes again!