title: A study of the time of hospital discharge of differentiated thyroid cancer patients after receiving iodine-131 for thyroid remnant ablation treatment.
abstract: The aim of this study was to measure the radiation exposure rate from differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients who had received iodine-131 ((131)I) treatment, and to evaluate hospital discharge planning in relation to three different sets of regulations. We studied 100 patients, 78 females and 22 males, aged 13 to 79 years (mean 44.40±15.83 years) with DTC, in three Groups who were treated with 3.7, 5.5 or 7.4GBq of (131)I, respectively. The external whole-body dose rates following oral administration of (131)I were measured after each one of the first three hospitalization days. A multivariant linear analysis was performed, considering exposure rates as dependent variables to the administered dose for treatment, age, gender, regional and/or distant metastases, thyroglobulin (Tg), antibodies to Tg and thyroid remnant in the three dose groups. We found that the exposure rates after each of the three first days of hospitalization were 30, 50 and 70μSvh-1 at 1m. All our DTC patients had an acceptable dose rate on days 2 and 3 that allowed their hospital discharge. After only 1 day of hospitalization, just 3/11 cases showed not permissible exposure rates above 70μSvh-1. In conclusion, it is the opinion of the authors that after measuring the exposure rates, most treated, DTC patients could be discharged after only one day of hospitalization, even some of those treated with high doses of (131)I (7.4GBq). Patients, who received the higher doses of (131)I, should not be released before their individual exposure rate is measured.
authors.affiliation: Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Azizmohammadi
authors.forename: Faraj
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tabei
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shafiei
authors.forename: Ali Akbar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Babaei
authors.forename: Seyed Mohsen Qutbi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jukandan
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naghshine
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Javadi
authors.forename: Iraj
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nabipour
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Assadi
authors.forename: Isa Neshandar
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Asli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001822:Body Burden; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals