Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2025
A Whole Body Dosimetry Protocol for Peptide-Receptor Radionuclide Therapy PRRT: 2D Planar Image and Hybrid 2D+3D SPECT/CT Image Methods
Published on: April 24, 2020
Radiation safety measures in diagnostic nuclear medicine, based on the potential radiation dose emitted by
José Willegaignon1, Samantha Cristina Pereira Fernandes1, Rogério Alexandre Pelissoni1
1Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (Icesp), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HC-FMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Objective:
To measure the potential radiation dose emitted by patients who have recently undergone diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures, in order to establish optimal radiation safety measures for such procedures.
Materials And Methods:
We evaluated the radiation doses emitted by 175 adult patients in whom technetium-99m, iodine-131, and fluorine-18 radionuclides were administered for bone, kidney, heart, brain, and whole-body scans, as measured with a radiation detector. Those values served as the basis for evaluating whole-body radiopharmaceutical clearance, as well as the risk for the exposure of others to radiation, depending on the time elapsed since administration of the radiopharmaceutical.
Results:
The mean time to clearance of the radiopharmaceuticals administered, expressed as the effective half-life, ranged from 1.18 ± 0.30 h to 11.41 ± 0.02 h, and the mean maximum cumulative radiation dose at 1.0 m from the patients was 149.74 ± 56.72 µSv. Even at a distance of 0.5 m, the cumulative dose was found to be only half and one tenth of the limits established for exposure of the general public and family members/caregivers (1.0 mSv and 5.0 mSv per episode, respectively).
Conclusion:
Cumulative radiation doses emitted by patients immediately after diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures are considerably lower than the limits established by the International Commission on Radiological Protection and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and precautionary measures to avoid radiation exposure are therefore not required after such procedures.
More Related Videos
06:20Irradiator Commissioning and Dosimetry for Assessment of LQ α and β Parameters, Radiation Dosing Schema, and in vivo Dose Deposition
Published on: March 11, 2021
06:28Visualization of Low-Level Gamma Radiation Sources Using a Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity, Omnidirectional Compton Camera
Published on: January 30, 2020
Related Concept Videos
01:13Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...
02:59Biological Effects of Radiation
01:30Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT
01:25Imaging Studies II: Positron Emission Tomography and Scintigraphy
Fundamental Principles of PET
01:30Radiological Investigation II: MRI and Ventilation Perfusion Scan
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Ventilation Perfusion Scans are two radiological investigations that offer detailed diagnostic images of the body, particularly lung structures.
MRI
MRI uses magnetic fields and radiofrequency signals to distinguish between normal and abnormal tissues. This technology provides a more detailed diagnostic image than CT scans, enabling it to characterize pulmonary nodules, stage bronchogenic carcinoma, and evaluate inflammatory activity in...
01:14Imaging Studies I: CT and MRI
Description of the Procedures
Computed Tomography (CT) scan:
Computed Tomography (CT) scans use X-ray technology to generate detailed images of bones, organs, and tissues. During the scan, the patient lies on a moving table...