Estimation of patient attenuation factor for iodine-131 based on direct dose rate measurements from radioiodine therapy patients

The aim of the study was to measure the actual dose at 1 m from the patients per unit activity with the aim of providing a more accurate prediction of the dose levels around radioiodine patients in the hospital, as well as to compare our results with the literature. In this work the demonstration of a patient body tissue attenuation factor is verified by comparing the dose rates measured from the patients with those measured from the unshielded radioiodine capsules immediately after administration of the radioactivity. The normalized dose rate per unit activity is therefore proposed as an operational quantity that can be used to predict exposure rates to staff and patients' relatives. The average dose rate measured from our patient per unit activity was 38.4 +/- 11.8 mu Sv/h/GBq. The calculated attenuation correction factor based on our measurements was 0.55 +/- 0.17. The calculated dose rate from a radioiodine therapy patient should normally include a factor accounting for patient body tissue attenuation and scatter. The attenuation factor is currently neglected and not applied in operational radiation protection. Realistic estimation of radiation dose levels from radioiodine therapy patients when properly performed will reduce the operational cost and optimize institutional radiation protection practice. It is recommended to include patient attenuation factors in risk assessment exercises - in particular, when accurate estimates of total effective doses to exposed individuals are required when direct measurements are not possible. The information provided about patient attenuation might benefit radiation protection specialists and regulators. Nucl Med Commun 36: 125-128 (C) 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.