Re: Q:therapeutic doses - pneumothorax

[Hal Resides <hal_resides_at_corpus@smtpgate.ddc.dla.mil>]

     Melissa,
     
     By definition, a pneumothorax is the introduction of air into the 
     pleural cavity surrounding the heart and lungs with the resultant 
     collapse of one or both lungs. More often than not it is a spontaneous 
     condition (there were procedures that called for the intentional 
     collapsing of a lung with monitoring via flouroscopy) arising from 
     traumatic injury or a disease state.
     
     Perhaps your colleague is referring to a form of treatment for a 
     particular lung disease (TB comes to mind but don't quote me - it's 
     been way too long) vice the effects of that disease or treatment.
     
     Having been a Respiratory Therapist in a Trauma Center in another 
     life, I was in on the treatment of many pneumos and I don't ever 
     recall the use of ANY radioisotopes in the TREATMENT of a 
     pneumothorax.  The only use of radiation that I have ever seen 
     associated with it is the use of diagnostic x-rays to determine extent 
     of collapse and/or chest tube placement.
     
     If there are any radsafers or medphys types out there that know 
     differently (things DO change), I'd be interested in the hows and whys 
     just for general info.  Hope this helps.
     
     Hal Resides
     DLA


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Q:therapeutic doses - pneumothorax 
Author:  <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu > at SMTPGATE
Date:    10/7/98 3:11 PM


A colleague called and asked if I had any information about what therapeutic 
doses were given to patients to treat a condition called pneumothorax.  He also 
mentioned treatment of TB patients during the 50s and 60s, but it wasn't clear 
if that was related.  He also made mention of something called the BRIER 
reports.

Does anyone have information on this, or can even make sense of what he's 
asking?  He apparently has little access to references, and I'm not sure we'd 
have much relevant in our office.

Thanks much!

--
Melissa Woo, Health Physicist                        |<mailto:m-woo@uiuc.edu> 
Div. of Environmental Health & Safety                |office        217.244-7233
101 S. Gregory St., MC-225, Urbana, IL 61801        |fax        217.244.6594 
<www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/m-woo/>                        |
     
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