title: On the safety of persons accompanying nuclear medicine patients.
abstract: The presence of caretakers/comforters during nuclear medicine examinations is relatively common. These caretakers receive higher doses than the general public, who receive only environmental/background exposure. The aim of this research was to know about the doses received by two significant groups of caretakers: comforters of cancer patients (Group I) and mothers of small children (Group II). The patients were scheduled to undergo two different diagnostic studies: Inmuno-Scintigraphy using a monoclonal antibody bound to (99m)Tc (for adults) and Renal Scintigraphy using (99m)Tc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (for children). The average effective doses were 0.27 and 0.29 mSv for Groups I and II, respectively. Additionally, environmental monitoring was performed in the waiting room for injected patients (Room I) and inside the procedure room (Room II). Equivalent environmental doses of 0.28 and 0.24 mSv for Rooms 1 and II, respectively, were found, which are similar to values reported by other authors.
authors.affiliation: National Regulatory Center for Drugs, Equipments and Medical Devices (CECMED), Calle 200 # 1706 e/17 y 19 Reparto Siboney Municipio Playa, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba. marlenindiaz@infomed.sld.cu
authors.forename: Marlenin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Díaz Barreto
authors.forename: Gladys M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: López Bejerano
authors.forename: Consuelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Varela Corona
authors.forename: Ileana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fleitas Estévez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000032:analysis*; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals