Re: seeds recovered at TURP procedures -Reply

[Kathleen Kaufman <KKAUFMAN@dhs.co.la.ca.us>]

You might want to take a look @ the article in RSO Magazine Jan/Feb '97
co-written by me & Barbara Hamrick discussing the results of three
incidents where we measured the retort after cremation. None involved
I-125 seeds, but it's probably still applicable. We found really high levels
of contamination (4.2 million dpm/100cm2) for P-32. Also discusses 
Ga-67 & Sr-89 measurements. It appears that this stuff is NOT going up
the stack as some had predicted....
kkaufman@dhs.co.la.ca.us

>>> Chris Alston <alstonc@odrge.odr.georgetown.edu> 08/30/99
02:37pm >>>
>I had the (unpleasant) experience of having to help with the removal of
>a pt's prostate about 2 months after implantation (I-125).  We did the
>implant, and the pt had a coronary and died.  He was about to be
>cremated when the alarms went off and the funeral director found me. 
We
>took care of storing the seeds until they were dead (maybe not a good
>choice of words).   I also was called to one of the ORs here at our
>hospital  to recover seeds taken from a patient who had a TURP after an
>implant (again, we did the implant).
>Our "official" policy is that once we implant the seeds in the patient,
>they are no longer our seeds.  The patient paid for them and owns
>them!!!  In reality, what is a "good physicist" to do when called by the
>people in the OR.....?????
>As far as the patients who die...I was told it is safe to cremate the
>bodies (or better yet, bury them), but not until after we did a
>post-mortum radical prostatectomy on that one patient.
>I'm sure this is going to start happening more and more since there are
>so many men out there walking around with prostates full of seeds.
>There are a number of issues involved including::  religious
>problems/customs, financial concerns (the pt's family had to pay to have
>him shipped here and for the removal of the prostate), radiation safety
>(you wouldn't want to cut open a seed!), manpower problems and
others.
>I would like to hear what others have to say.
>
>Good luck,
>Al
>
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