Re: radiopharmaceutical patient release

["LEE COLLINS" <NLCO@imag.wh.su.edu.au>]

Hello world,

There are a couple of further factors not yet mentioned. If the patient 
had simply been administered 6GBq and sent home (via QANTAS of course!), then 
there would be a significant contamination potential. These patients 
excrete 95% or so of the dose in the first 48 hours, predominantly 
via urine. They have also been known to get nausea, to the point of 
vomiting (more psychological and metabolic than radiation based), 
even before the dose capsule has been completely dissolved.

Irrespective of other constraints, it makes sense to keep the 
patient in some form of controlled environment while these hazards 
still exist. As has been pointed out by someone else, professional 
judgement and public perception can often be diametrically opposed.


Lee Collins

> first of all a patient with 150 mCi cannot be released from a medical
> facility until a dose rate of 5 mr/hr at one meter and or less than 30
> mCi. the dose rate can be anywhere from 18-26 mr/hr at one meter.
> Secondly the dose rate to the general public is 100 mrem/yr .
> Yes the overall dose rate may be low but we are obligated to ensure 
> as low as a dose possible to anyone in the ares of rad. material. 
 

********************************
Lee Collins
Medical Physics Dept.
Westmead Hospital
Westmead   NSW  2145  Australia

Phone : +61 2 845 6533
Fax   : +61 2 891 5385
email : nlco@imag.wh.su.edu.au
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