Effective dose to patients and staff when using a mobile PET/SPECT system

The purpose of this study was to determine the number of weekly acquisitions permissible using a mobile PET/SPECT scanner for myocardial perfusion/viability imaging in an intensive care unit (ICU) based on the effective dose to patients and staff. The effective dose to other patients and staff in an ICU was calculated following recommendations from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 108 report (AAPM TG-108). The number of weekly acquisitions using 555 MBq (15 mCi) Tc-99m for myocardial perfusion or F-18 for myocardial viability was determined using the regulatory limits described in the Code of Federal Regulations 10 CFR 20. To increase the number of weekly acquisitions allowed, a reduction in administered dose and portable shielding was considered. A single myocardial perfusion image can be acquired with Tc-99m each week with a dose reduction to 455 MBq (12.3 mCi) without additional shielding. To acquire a myocardial viability image with F-18, an activity reduction to 220 MBq (5.9 mCi) is required to meet the regulatory effective dose limit without additional shielding. More than one weekly acquisition can be performed if additional shielding or activity reduction is utilized. A method for calculating dose to patients and staff in an ICU has been developed using conservative assumptions and following AAPM TG-108. This calculation must be repeated for each individual clinic before any acquisition is performed.