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

[Mike Grissom <mikeg@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

Radsafers,

I also disagree for the same reason as indicated 
below, and it is NOT a hypothetical concern.

I have seen experiments involving very costly biologicals
that were based on modest to low counting rates for special
radio-labeled material completely destroyed by cross
contamination.  It wasn't documented in the public
literature (may have made a few RSC minutes), but it
definitely has reduced the effectiveness of more than one
PI.  In at least one case, the radionuclide use authorization
was removed (effectively removing the PI).

Yes, it likely will not be a significant problem
regarding radiation protection of individuals (simply
because you don't have a rush of many Grave's patients
in the lab at the same time), but it can terminate
effective research.  A pair of gloves worn while in the
radionuclide utilization lab is not an unwarranted
limitation for any reasoning investigator (think reverse
isolation...and grant protection!).

Obviously, merely an opinion.

Yo,

MikeG.

At 03:47 PM 6/20/97 -0500, you wrote:
>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 ...


Michael P. Grissom
Asst Dir (ES&H)
SLAC
Phone: (415) 926-2346
Fax:   (415) 926-3030
E-mail: mikeg@slac.stanford.edu