title: Radiation exposure of the investigator's hand during fusion imaging of the thyroid with 99mTcO4-free-hand SPECT and ultrasound.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the radiation exposure of the investigators' hand during free-hand single photon emission tomography/ultrasound ((99m)TcO4-fhSPECT/US) of the thyroid. Conventional dosimetry by rings with thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs) was performed in 32 patients (Group A), followed by TLD-chipstrate dosimetry in further 20 patients (Group B). In both the groups, the ambient dose rate was measured by dose rate meter (DRM). The applied activity was in the range of 60-80 MBq (99m)TcO4. In Group A, the exposure per investigation was 7.53 µSv (calculated average) by ring dosimetry and 9.02±5.64 µSv by DRM; in Group B, 10.93 and 9.51 ± 1.76 µSv, respectively. Based on estimated 1224 yearly thyroid investigations per nuclear medicine specialist in Germany, the estimated cumulative yearly exposure of the hand was 11.32 mSv. The hand exposure during a thyroid (99m)TcO4-fhSPECT/US of 20-min duration proved modest and comparable with different methods. Yearly examinations in excess of 1000 per investigator are not expected to add a relevant cumulative risk.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany martin.freesmeyer@med.uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freesmeyer
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Winkens
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Opfermann
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany Medical Engineering and Biotechnology, Jena University of Applied Sciences (EAH Jena), Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kühnel
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011835:Radiation Protection; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012108:Research Personnel; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry / Q000379:methods; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m