Re: Children: rad exposure from Nuc Med patients

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 13:17 19.01.98 -0600, you wrote:
>Dear Colleagues,
>
>I would be interested to hear what other medical facilities with Nuclear
>Medicine depts. are doing  to keep rad exposures as low as reasonably
>achievable to children (less than 18 yrs)  who accompany patients.
>What about patients who have been injected with PET products?
>
>I am concerned about children being around other injected patients in
>waiting areas and especially mothers who have been injected.  Whole body
>meter surveying may create needless fear for the patient and their
>family.   Is concern warranted?  If so, would patient instructions
>stating that children should not accompany patients and that the
>children should be kept some distance away for some time period
>afterwards, be the best solution?
>
>Suggestions? Advice?  Your responses would be greatly appreciated.
>Thank you.
>
>David Engelbretson
>Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
>dengelbret@tmh.tmc.edu
>


This is a very nice example for the ALARA principle - it is easy and does
not cost anything, to advise patients not to take children with them.........

Franz
Franz Schoenhofer
Federal Institute for Food Control and Research
Department for Radiochemistry and Radioactivity of Food
Kinderspitalg. 15
A-1095 Vienna
AUSTRIA
tel.: +43-1-40491-520
fax.: +43-1-40491-540