Re: PI with I-131 Treatment and Immediate Return to Work

[772EAR@delphi.com]

I disagree that a PI should be allowed to resume work immediately
after having a nuclear medicine treatment,  ESPECIALLY if the PI is
returning to a laboratory environment.

My main concern would not be the radiation safety of coworkers.  My
concern would be the negation of experiments in progress.

As many lab instruments are shared between researchers,  there is a
strong possiblity of cross contaminating another researchers 
experiment.  Most experimental protocols entail months of data 
gathering and thousands (in the case of clinical trials, hundreds
of thousands) of dollars. I cannot envision someone introducing 
a contaminating vector into a clinical protocol being viewed in 
the best of light (especially by those who pay the salaries of 
persons hired to prevent just such an occurance, such as 
radiation safety officers).
  
In fact,  it is my experience that PIs are the main source
of information.  They are very concerned about their experiments 
getting contaminated and conplain to safety personnel at the 
slightest hint that a person who is sick or under medical care 
is coming in contact with their samples.

Knowing if lab workers have conditions that could pathologically or 
radiologically effect an experiment is should be given a high
priority in any research lab environment.  I am suprised that the PI
in question should be so collegially insensitive.

Regards,
Vince Chase
772ear@delphi.com
Radiation Safety Officer
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect
the opinions, policies or practices of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals