Answer to Question #4492 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Nuclear Medicine Patient Issues — Therapeutic Nuclear Medicine

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

The radiation oncologist at my facility wants to treat a patient with ¹³¹I. The patient has renal failure and is on dialysis. What radiation safety points I should be aware of?

There is some potential for contamination with these procedures, although it is not excessive and it depends on the administered activity and the length of time from the administration to the dialysis procedure. Administering the radioiodine immediately after a dialysis will maximize the time for elimination of the excess radioiodine from the body prior to the next dialysis. Assurance of the dialysis staff beforehand and contamination surveying afterwards are appropriate. The dialysis staff will already be using universal precautions to protect themselves from the patient's blood and other body fluids. These are the same precautions that are used to protect against contamination from radioactivity. Flushing of the waste from the dialysis tubing directly to the sanitary sewer line and collecting the dialysis tubing as radioactive waste are appropriate.

Kenneth L. Miller, CHP, CMHP

Answer posted on May 20, 2005. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.