Application of Calibrated Instruments in Medical

Facilities

MAJ H. Mike Stewart, Jr., MS, CHP

April 17, 2009

Disclaimer

• The views expressed in this presentation are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.

• The picture of instruments in this presentation are representative and are not endorsing any company

Outline

• Receipt of Radioactive Material

• Prepare for Patient Use

• End of Day – User

• Weekly Survey – Health Physics

• Spill Response

• Patient Release

• Waste Monitor

• X-ray Survey Equipment

Receipt of Radioactive Material

• Radioactive Material arrives almost daily to any hospital with a nuclear medicine clinic

• Radioactive Material delivered from a radiopharmaceutical company

• After receipt, must ensure that Transport Index is verified and a wipe test to show that no material is leaking

Prepare for Patient Use

• After nuclear pharmacist prepares dose, it is usually injected into patient

• Receipt to disposal• Four paths

– Patient – Spill– Sharps– Decay

End of Day - User

• Time to go home, but wait

• End of day survey for use areas

• Regulatory requirement

• Using a sensitive instrument to determine if there was a spill

Weekly Survey – Health Physics

• Regulatory requirement for material use areas

• Ensure that areas are free of removable contamination and exposure rates are minimized

Spill Response

• Spills happen

• Stop the spill

• Warn others

• Isolate the area

• Mitigate exposure

• Notify Health Physics

Patient Release

• For doses above a certain threshold

• Some release with instructions and some without

• Types of procedures– Diagnostic– Treatment– Bracy

Quiz

• What is it?

Waste Monitor

• No radiation leaves the facility except what is in patients

• Decay in storage

X-ray Survey Equipment

• Joint Commission Facilities

• Annual compliance safety surveys

• Picture of x-ray equipment

Summary

• Receipt of Radioactive Material

• Prepare for Patient Use

• End of Day – User

• Weekly Survey – Health Physics

• Spill Response

• Patient Release

• Waste Monitor

• X-ray Survey Equipment

Questions