Management of highly radioactive human cadavers

[kgordon@cc.UManitoba.CA]

Hello Radsafers:

Very rarely (fortunately), radionuclide therapy patients may die shortly after 
receiving the therapeutic radiopharmaceutical.  I've recently been told of a 
thyroid cancer patient who went into cardiac arrest and died one day after 
receiving 5.5 GBq (150 mCi) Iodine-131 - she was still in hospital in radiation 
isolation.  I was asked if there are any regulations, guidelines, etc for 
managing very "hot" human cadavers -  specifically with respect to autopsy, 
embalming, burial and cremation. 

I have found some references on the topic - NCRP Report no 37 (published 1970) 
and IPSM Report No. 63 (UK -published 1991).

Is anyone aware of other useful references in the literature, or in various USA, 
UK or European national regulatory guidelines?  We don't seem to have anything 
in Canada.  I'm interested not only in Iodine-131 therapy, but also other 
radionuclides / target tissues / administration routes.  If you have anything 
that might be of interest, please forward title and contact addresses/fax #s to:


Karin Gordon 
Radiation Safety Office		fax 	(204) 787-1313
Health Sciences Centre		e-mail	KGordon@cc.umanitoba.ca
GC-219, 820 Sherbrook St
Winnipeg, Manitoba, 
Canada RA 1R9

Thanks in advance



 I'm looking for any references