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Finger doses received during 153Sm injections.
1KES Medical Physics & Engineering Group, School of Physics and Electronic Systems Engineering, University of South Australia, Australia. john.pattison@unisa.edu.au
Health Physics
|October 19, 1999
Summary
Handling syringes containing 153Sm-EDTMP requires care to minimize skin dose. Placing fingers at the rear of the syringe, away from the active volume, keeps radiation exposure within safe limits for clinical staff.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Medicine
- Radiation Oncology
- Medical Physics
Background:
- 153Sm-EDTMP is increasingly used for metastatic bone cancer pain palliation.
- This radionuclide emits beta and gamma radiation, posing potential risks to healthcare workers.
- Understanding radiation dose to staff is crucial for implementing safety protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the skin radiation dose to clinical and laboratory staff during injections of 153Sm.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of handling techniques in reducing radiation exposure.
- To ensure compliance with International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) dose limits.
Main Methods:
- Modeled beta-particle and gamma-ray dose rates using Monte Carlo and distributed point source approaches.
- Calculated skin dose at the basal cell layer depth for different finger positions on the syringe.
- Assessed doses for typical administered activity (2.6 GBq) and contact times (30 s).
Main Results:
- Direct contact over the active volume resulted in high doses (77 mGy and 10 mGy per injection) exceeding weekly limits.
- Handling syringes at the rear end significantly reduced doses to 0.069 mGy and 0.139 mGy per injection.
- Exceeding the ICRP weekly skin dose limit of 10 mGy is likely with improper handling.
Conclusions:
- Direct finger contact with the syringe's active volume leads to excessive skin radiation doses.
- Handling syringes at the rear end is a safe practice, keeping doses within recommended limits.
- Implementing specific handling procedures is essential for protecting staff from unnecessary radiation exposure.
