Abstract:
Radioactive iodine 1131 is used in the treatment of thyroid cancer or
metastases. The members of the public who are willingly helping a patient during
diagnosis or treatment do not know how they are getting exposed during nursing
of the patient in the hospital.
This study is designed to have an assessment of doses from 1131 to
individual as well as family members of the patient receiving 131therapy doses.
This type of study has not been done in Bangladesh before.
All relatives and ward boys in clinics were wearing TLO for 7 days. Median
dose found over 1 week was (.017) (range 0 -.235) mSv for the ward boy. Median
dose over 1 week was (0.172) range (.0103 - 4.0317) mSv for the partners
(husband and wife). Median dose over 1 week was (0.031), range (.019 -.362)
mSv for others.
5 Relatives had worn TLO for extra 7 days. Median dose over 2 weeks was
(0.301), range (.241 - .375) mSv.
TLDs were placed on 2 patients' bedside tables. The median dose
measured by these TLOs was (25.04), with a range (24.59 - 25.49) mSv.
Study in 4 clinics on the patients suffering from thyroid carcinoma
suggested that the patient should be hospitalised for 3-4 days with an additional 7
days of separate sleeping to avoid radiation effect due to close contact with other
people. This study may be used as reference data in the treatment of thyroid
cancer with 1131
