Re: 131-I, Blood, Sweat & Tears

[Ccja@aol.com]

I agree emphatically. Sodium radioiodide in aqueous solution is usually
buffered to a mildly basic pH, because the fraction that will become airborne
is exponentially dependent on the acidity of the solution. Therfore, if a
patient were to have an emesis shortly after receiving a therapeutic dose,
one could expect diagnostic quantitites to be in the air. ICRP Publication 53
gives a mean residence time in the stomach of 0.5h.

Actually, one should probably expect this to occur, sooner or later, because
it's not unusual for these patients to be chronically nauseous, as a result
of being off their thyroid replacement medications. Note, too, that one of
the problems in dealing with/planning for this situation is that patients'
rooms are usually at positive pressure with respect to the public corridor.

Chris Alston