A Treatment That Keeps Giving

With increasing interest/use of theranostics, there may well be situations where radionuclide therapy (RNT) patients are encountered in hospital who weren’t actually treated by that hospital. Is there a requirement for RSOs in the non-treating hospital to get involved?

 A pediatric patient living in Winnipeg required I-131 MIBG RNT for a neuroendocrine tumor. He was treated at a specialty hospital in another province and came back to Winnipeg after a brief radiation isolation. His condition required an unexpected hospitalization in Winnipeg which no-one was prepared for. “Hot” diapers started showing up at the local landfill and Manitoba Environment was bringing back bags & bags of “hot” diapers that really didn’t pose a radiological hazard (none of our landfills can accept radioactive material).

A local protocol was created with input from the pediatric oncologist, the manager of the pediatric ward that had this patient and radiation safety professionals involved with this case, so that ad hoc approaches can be minimized with future RNT patients treated elsewhere who come to one of our hospitals. The final protocol was shared with the pediatric oncologist, the oncology clinic nurse, the pediatric ward that would expect to see future patients such as this, as well as the pediatric Intensive Care and Emergency Room departments and relevant RSOs. This oral presentation will address the situation and actions taken by Radiation Safety staff.