title: Correction factors for more accurate estimates of exposure rates near radioactive patients: experimental, point, and line source models.
abstract: Radioactive patients may expose others after radiopharmaceutical administrations, and evaluation of the absorbed dose or exposure rates close to patients is important in keeping radiation doses as low as reasonably achievable. Two theoretical exposure models, point source and line source models, are frequently used to calculate exposure or dose rates without the support of actual measurements. If measurements of exposure rates were performed near patients, an experimental exposure model could be implemented. When measurements of exposure rates are performed, these measurements are made inside therapy rooms or other confined places, in which case scattered radiation may significantly influence the measurements. In this study we measured exposure rates from radioactive patients without the influence of scattered radiation and determined correction factors for the theoretical exposure models. The exposure rates from a total of 110 radioactive patients were measured at 1.0 h after oral administration of Na131I for thyroid therapy; the results +/-1 SD at distances of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 m in front of the patients were (29 +/- 6), (9.9 +/- 1.7), (4.6 +/- 0.9), (2.7 +/- 0.5), (1.31 +/- 0.25) and (0.74 +/- 0.12) x 10(-10) C kg(-1) MBq(-1) h(-1) [1.0 x 10(-10) C kg(-1) MBq(-1) h(-1) = 14.34 x 10(-6) R mCi(-1) h(-1)], respectively. To obtain more accurate estimates of the actual exposure rates from patients using the theoretical exposure models, we found that correction factors should be applied; the functions CFEM = 1.19 + 32.80e(5.92D) and CFLS = 0.022LnD + 0.639 describe these correction factors for distances less than or equal to 1.0 m from the patients for experimental and line source exposure models, respectively. The function that describes the correction factors to the point source model is CFPS = 0.224LnD + 0.638 at the same distances; applying these correction factors leads to a reduction from 56% to 1% in the difference between measured exposure rates and theoretical exposure rates calculated by the point source exposure model at a distance of 1.0 m from patients. The results given here provide more accuracy in evaluation of exposure rates and consequently absorbed doses near radioactive patients and allow for more effective radiological protection procedures during patient management.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Center, Instituto de Radiologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil. willegaignon@hotmail.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Willegaignon
authors.forename: Maria I C
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Stabin
authors.forename: Marcelo T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Sapienza
authors.forename: Luiz F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Malvestiti
authors.forename: Marília M S
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Marone
authors.forename: Gian-Maria A A
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Sordi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000532:radiotherapy; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011835:Radiation Protection; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals