Re: Management of highly radioactive human cadavers

[R.Smart@unsw.edu.au (Richard Smart)]

Hi Karen,

I've posted this to radsafe as it may be of interest to others.

In Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council has published
"Code of Practice for the Safe Handling of Corpses Containing Radioactive
Materials (1986)" . It is currently being revised to include more recently
used radionuclides such as Sr-89.

It is only 4 pages long and I will be happy to fax it to anyone who requests it.

>
>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 
>
>
Richard Smart PhD
Department of Nuclear Medicine
St. George Hospital
Kogarah, NSW 2217
Australia
Tel:61 2 350 3112
Fax:61 2 350 3991
Email:R.Smart@unsw.edu.au