Dose rate measurements from radiopharmaceuticals: implications for nuclear medicine staff and for children with radioactive parents.

Following the introduction of a number of radiopharmaceuticals, we assessed the dose received by staff working in the nuclear medicine department and also by children who may be in close contact with a radioactive parent. We measured departure dose rates (microSv.h-1) at distances of 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 m from the skin surface at the level of the thyroid, chest and bladder of patients undergoing the following nuclear medicine procedures: MUGA scans using 99Tcm-labelled red blood cells, myocardial perfusion scans using 99Tcm-labelled radiopharmaceuticals, lymphoscintigraphy using colloidal 99Tcm (Re) sulphide, bone scans using 99Tcm-labelled oxidronate, 111In-octreotide scans, 111In-labelled leukocyte studies and cardiac reinjection studies using 201Tl. The maximum dose rates at 0.1 m were those from MUGA studies (167.3 microSv.h-1) and myocardial perfusion studies (one-day protocol = 391.7 microSv.h-1, two-day protocol = 121.8 microSv.h-1). The implications of these dose rates on both technical and nursing staff are assessed. Also, the dose received by an infant in close contact with a parent following a nuclear medicine investigation was estimated.