OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION DOSE TO NUCLEAR MEDICINE STAFF DUE TO TC99M, F18-FDG PET AND THERAPEUTIC I-131 BASED EXAMINATIONS

The aim was to track the exposure to radiation workers in six nuclear medicine examinations. A number of 180 patients were recruited and external exposure was measured. Patients had undergone cardiac stress and rest, bone scan, I-131 therapy, Gallium-67 and FDG PET/CT imaging. The average dose received due to cardiac stress and rest were 20.4 +/- 5.0 and 16.0 +/- 3.8 mu Sv per patient, respectively, whereas for bone scan, Ga-67, FDG and I-131 therapy, the average dose was 6.1 +/- 2.5, 6.0 +/- 1.4, 11.1 +/- 2.2 and 4.1 +/- 2.6 mu Sv per patient. The patient-to-staff dose coefficients were on average 0.051 +/- 0.009, 0.042 +/- 0.010, 0.034 +/- 0.016, 0.039 +/- 0.021, 0.052 +/- 0.012, 0.094 +/- 0.021 mu Sv m(2)/MBq h for stress, rest, bone, I-131, Ga-67 and FDG reported post-administration, respectively. Patient injection and setup for imaging represent a high percentage of the total dose received by staff. The information revealed is able to revise local measures, safety standards, and could help further in dose optimization and minimal exposure to occupationally exposed worker in nuclear medicine laboratories.