Oral administration of (131)I by semiautomatic pipette to a patient with severe swallowing difficulties: a case report.
As an alternative method of oral administration of (131)I to a patient with quadriplegia and severe swallowing difficulties, we introduced, into the back of the patient's mouth, a 200- micro L laboratory pipette containing 74 MBq (2 mCi) of (131)I-sodium iodide in a 76- micro L aqueous solution and delivered its contents. The procedure was repeated a few days later with a 1,000- micro L laboratory pipette to administer 1.48 GBq (40 mCi) of (131)I-sodium iodide in a 270- micro L aqueous solution. The patient tolerated both procedures well. The pipette permitted accurate measurement of both dosages and complete (greater than 99.9%) delivery of the tracer in a small volume to the back of the patient's mouth, as documented by assay of the empty pipette after use. In patients with swallowing difficulties, use of the pipette constitutes a safe and efficient means to deliver (131)I-sodium iodide by the oral route.
Karam
Maroun
M
Nuclear Medicine Section, Radiology Department, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York 12208, USA. karamm@mail.amc.edu
Dansereau
Raymond N
RN
Smith
Howard S
HS
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D003680:Deglutition Disorders; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012974:Sodium Iodide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017186:Titrimetry / Q000295:instrumentation
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D012974:Sodium Iodide