RADIATION EXPOSURE NEAR OF PATIENTS AFTER ADMINISTRATION OF TC-99M-SESTAMIBI

Aim: The aim of the present study was to estimate the additional radia tion exposure to personnel, other patients and members of the family c aused by patients who had been injected with Tc-99m-Sestamibi (Cardiol ite(R) DuPONT PHARMA) for preoperative localization of parathyroid ade noma. Methods: Dose rates were measured from 16 patients who had recei ved an intravenous injection of 600 +/- 50 MBq Tc-99m-Sestamibi. All m easurements were performed with a portable dosimeter (Berthold LB 133( R)) at 3 different distances (0.5, 1 and 2 m) at 10 min, 180-200 min a nd 24 h after administration of the tracer. Results: The dose rates am ounted to 20.5 mu Sv/h at 0.5 m, 5.25 mu Sv/h at 1 m and 1.55 mu Sv/h at 2 m distance from patients respectively. The biological half-life w as 54 h. The calculated maximal dose to other persons in the waiting a rea was 31.2 mu Sv, to family members 27.6 mu Sv and to nurses in a wa rd 31.2 mu Sv. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the calculated ma ximal radiation exposure for personnel, family members and other patie nts even under very unfavourable conditions was below the maximal allo wed dose for non-professionally exposed persons.