title: Radiation exposure to nuclear medicine personnel handling positron emitters from Ge-68/Ga-68 generator.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the radiation exposure to nuclear medicine personnel during synthesis and injection to the patients of Ga-68 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N″,N″'-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-1-Nal(3)-octreotide (NOC)- (DOTA-NOC) using ring thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Synthesis of Ga-68 DOTA-NOC was done on a semi-automated system. Finger doses were measured during synthesis and injection of Ga-68 DOTA-NOC. The occupational workers wore TLDs at the base of ring finger of both hands. The finger doses of two radio chemists were measured during synthesis of Ga-68 DOTA-NOC while that of a physician during its injection to the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Duration of the study was eight months and a total of 20 samples were prepared. During synthesis, the mean dose to base of left ring finger was 3.02 ± 1.01 mSv and to base of right ring finger was 1.96 ± 0.86 mSv. Mean dose to base of left ring finger was 1.26 ± 0.35 mSv while that to base of right ring finger was 1.03 ± 0.13 mSv during injection. The mean dose was observed to be higher during synthesis than injection. However, the difference was not significant (P = 0.27 and P = 0.18, respectively). Overall mean finger dose of left hand was 2.43 ± 1.21 mSv, whereas for the right hand the same was 1.65± 0.82 mSv.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Finger doses to radio chemists during semi-automated synthesis of Ga-68 DOTA-NOC and that to the physician involved in injection of Ga-68 DOTA-NOC were found to be within permissible limits. Ring dosimeters must be worn for the safety of the nuclear medicine personnel involved in synthesis and injection of Ga-68 DOTA-NOC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Durgesh Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
authors.lastname: Snehlata
authors.forename: Alok Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
authors.forename: Satya Pal
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lochab
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Niraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naswa
authors.forename: Punit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: Guru Pad
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Bandopadhayaya
authors.forename: Chandrashekhar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bal
authors.forename: Gauri Shankar
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Pant