Radiation control in the intensive care unit for high intensity iridium-192 brain implants

Journal Article · Wed Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Neurosurgery; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1227/00006123-198704000-00013· OSTI ID:6196170

Sewchand, W; Drzymala, R E; Amin, P P; Salcman, M; Salazar, O M

A bedside lead cubicle was designed to minimize the radiation exposure of intensive care unit staff during routine interstitial brain irradiation by removable, high intensity iridium-192. The cubicle shields the patient without restricting intensive care routines. The design specifications were confirmed by exposure measurements around the shield with an implanted anthropomorphic phantom simulating the patient situation. The cubicle reduces the exposure rate around an implant patient by as much as 90%, with the exposure level not exceeding 0.1 mR/hour/mg of radium-equivalent /sup 192/Ir. Evaluation of data accumulated for the past 3 years has shown that the exposure levels of individual attending nurses are 0.12 to 0.36 mR/mg of radium-equivalent /sup 192/Ir per 12-hour shift. The corresponding range for entire nursing teams varies between 0.18 and 0.26. A radiation control index (exposure per mg of radium-equivalent /sup 192/Ir per nurse-hour) is thus defined for individual nurses and nursing teams; this index is a significant guide to the planning of nurse rotations for brain implant patients with various /sup 192/Ir loads. The bedside shield reduces exposure from /sup 192/Ir implants by a factor of about 20, as expected, and the exposure from the lower energy radioisotope iodine-125 is barely detectable.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
• OSTI ID: 6196170
• Journal Information: Neurosurgery; (United States), Journal Name: Neurosurgery; (United States) Vol. 4; ISSN NRSRD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
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BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL SHIELDS
BODY
BRAIN
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DESIGN
DOSES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
HEAVY NUCLEI
IMPLANTS
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IRIDIUM 192
IRIDIUM ISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MEDICAL PERSONNEL
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MOCKUP
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
PHANTOMS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIATION SOURCE IMPLANTS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
SHIELDS
STRUCTURAL MODELS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES