Re: MIT, Quaker Oats Settle Radiation Lawsuit -Reply

["Mike Bohan" <mike.bohan@yale.edu>]

        Reply to:   RE>MIT, Quaker Oats Settle Radiation Lawsuit -Reply

Hi RADSAFERS,

I'm back after a long holiday absence!

Matt said,

  "They probably signed a consent form with the word Thallium or
Technicium included.

Have these patients, today, been truely informed?  Has anything
changed?"

Patients do not  normally sign consent forms for diagnostic administrations of radionuclides.  When was the last time you signed a consent form for a chest or dental x-ray?  

Normally, a patient's verbal consent is only required for diagnostic procedures.  Unfortunately, since many members of the public will react to words like " We're going to inject radioactive materials into you",  many Nuc. Med. Techs will instead say something like "We're going to inject a tracer dye into you".  Consequently,  Nuc. Power personnel find out what the "dye" was the next day when they return to work.  However, I'm always surprised that they didn't get the inference when they undoubtedly were sent to the "Nuclear Medicine Department" for their diagnostic study.  I would think that something "Nuclear" was going to happen!  %^) 

Written consent is usually only required when something invasive such as surgery or therapeutic administrations are performed.  

Research studies require that the subject be informed both verbally as well as in written form and require a signed consent.  The subject is also informed that they may withdraw consent at any time.

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Michael J. Bohan, RSO   |  e-mail: mike.bohan@yale.edu
Yale-New Haven Hospital |    Tele: (203) 785-2950
Radiological Physics    |     FAX: (203) 737-4252
20 York St. - WWW 204   |    As usual, everything I say may be plausibly
New Haven, CT    06504  |    denied at my employer's convenience ...
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