Answer to Question #9031 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"
Category: Nuclear Medicine Patient Issues — Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine
The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:
Q
My husband is having an iodine-123 uptake thyroid scan this week. Are there any precautions that we need to be aware of after the test concerning grandchildren, animals, or being around other family and friends?
A
Thyroid uptake scans using iodine-123 are very low dose. Iodine-123 decays very rapidly and is also excreted from the body through the urine. There are no precautions that need to be taken after this test.
There is more detailed information on this procedure at the American College of Radiology website.
There is no cause for concern for this thyroid uptake scan.
Marcia Hartman, MS
Ask the Experts is posting answers using only SI (the International System of Units) in accordance with international practice. To convert these to traditional units we have prepared a conversion table. You can also view a diagram to help put the radiation information presented in this question and answer in perspective. Explanations of radiation terms can be found here.
Answer posted on 3 May 2010. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, 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. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.