Code of Brachytherapy Patients

[SMarlette@aol.com]

Dear Radsafers;
I apologize if this subject has been kicked around before.  I am looking for
suggestions of how to handle the potential event of a brachytherapy needing
emergency surgery or coding.  The probability is small, but if a code should
happen they really can't wait for the doc or physicist to arrive in the middle
of the night.  Do you just perform the code then evaluate the exposures to the
code team or try to maintain trained individuals to remove the implant during
the early stages of the code?  There are so many people involved in a code and
the probability of loss of control of the sources seems to outweigh the risk
of the radiation to the team.  Does AAPM or anyone have guidelines?
Thanks.
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