Total Effective Dose Equivalent to Caregivers from Hospitalized Patients Treated with High Dose Radioiodine for Thyroid Carcinoma.

Thyroid cancer patients treated with high-dose radioactive iodine (3.7-7.4 GBq) are different from other people because after the administration, the radionuclide I-131 is excreted via urine, feces, saliva and breathing, and also via exposure to other patients.

Radiation Exposure to Relatives of Patients Treated with Iodine-131 for Thyroid Cancer at Siriraj Hospital.

Objective: Thyroid cancer patients treated with 1-131 are potential source of radiation exposure to relatives who are knowingly and willingly exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of providing comfort to patients undergoing I-131 therapy. This study aims to determine radiation dose received by relatives who care for non self-supporting 1-131 patients at Siriraj Hospital.

Material And Method: Twenty caregivers of 20 patients underwent I-131 therapy for thyroid cancer with a standard protocol were given specific instructions with regard to radiation safety and provided with electronic digital dosimeter to continuously measure radiation dose received on daily basis, three days in the hospital.

A comparison of the diagnostic performance of half-time SPECT and multiplanar pelvic bone scan in patients with significant bladder artifacts.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of half-time single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in the interpretation of bone scans in patients with bladder artifacts in comparison with multiplanar imaging. We also investigated whether SPECT could reduce the radiation dose to nuclear medicine personnel and shorten the acquisition time.

Materials And Methods: Data from 29 patients with significant bladder artifacts were assessed by two nuclear medicine physicians.

A prospective randomized study of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of high and low dose regimens of I-131 treatment in hyperthyroidism.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of high and low dose regimens of I-131 treatment in patients with hyperthyroidism.

Material And Method: One hundred fifty patients with proven hyperthyroidism were randomly allocated into the high (74 patients) and low (76 patients) dose regimen of I-131 treatment. Four patients of the high dose group and one patient of the low dose group were excluded because of lost follow-up.