Re: Release of I-131 patient

[psr@po.CWRU.Edu (P S. Rao)]

My query on radsafe a few days ago (on the untimely departure of an I-131
patient from a hospital) generated one informative response and a few
requests for sharing in the info.  To honor the latter, I am posting the
former.  My thanks to Gary Roberts.
------------

>   The licensee reported that a radiopharmaceutical therapy patient
>   left the hospital prior to meeting the release criteria.  The
>   patient was administered a therapy dosage of 150 mCi of I-131 on
>   12/20/94.  On 12/21/94 at 1330, a member of the RSO's staff
>   performed a radiation survey of the patient and determined that the
>   exposure rate was 7.2 mrem/hr at one meter which exceeded the
>   maximum allowable exposure rate of 5 mrem/hr at one meter.  At
>   approximately 1645 on 12/21/94, the patient left the hospital after
>   being informed that she was not to leave.  The hospital determined
>   that the patient would have been released by 1700 or 1800 hrs on
>   12/21/94.  The NRC believes that a person seated next to the
>   patient during a 3-4 hour flight would not receive an exposure in
>   excess of regulatory limits for members of the general public.
>
>   The licensee's action to prevent recurrence of a similar incident
>   include providing written instructions to patients prior to
>   administration of I-131 doses and better pre-treatment screening of
>   patients.
>
>
>   Gary Roberts
>   Idaho National Engineering Laboratory
>   Desk Ph:    (208) 526-2741
>   Fax Number: (208) 526-2930
>   Internet Address:  gdr@inel.gov





--
P. Sridhar Rao, Radiology, CWRU / Univ Hosp of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio.
Tel: 216-844-1295.    Fax: 216-844-5922.    E-mail: psr@po.cwru.edu