• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.62-66
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• 2013

Purpose: I-131 is a radioisotope widely used for thyroid gland treatments. The physical half life is 8.01 and characterized by emitting beta and gamma rays which is used in clinical practice for the purpose of acquiring treatment and images. In order to reduce the recurrence rate after surgery in high-risk thyroid cancer patients, the remaining thyroid tissue is either removed or the I-131 is used for treatment during relapse. In cases of using a high dosage of radioactive iodine requiring hospitalization, the patient is administered dosage in the hospital isolation ward over a certain period of time preventing I-131 exposure to others. By checking the radiation amount emitted from patients before discharge, the patients are discharged after checking whether they meet the legal standards (50 uSv/h). After patients are discharged from the hospital, the contamination level is checked in many parts of the ward before the next patients are hospitalized and when necessary, decontamination operations are performed. It is expected that there is exposure to radiation when measuring the ward contamination level and dose check emitted from patients at the time of discharge whereby the radiation exposure by health workers that come from the patients in this process is the main factor. This study analyzed the correlation between discharge dose of patients and ward contamination level through a variety of factors such as renal functions, gender, age, dosage, etc.). Materials and Method: The study was conducted on 151 patients who received high-dosage radioactive iodine treatment at Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital during the period between 8/1/2011~5/31/2012 (Male: Female: 31:120, $47.5{\pm}11.9$, average dosage of $138{\pm}22.4$ mCi). As various factors expected to influence the patient discharge dose & ward contamination such as the beds, floors, bathroom floors, and washbasins, the patient renal function (GFR), age, gender, dosage, and the correlation between the expected Tg & Tg-Tb expected to reflect the remaining tissue in patients were analyzed. Results: In terms of the discharge dose and GFR, a low correlation was shown in the patient discharge dose as the GFR was higher (p < 0.0001). When comparing the group with a dosage of over 150mCi and the group with a lower dosage, the lower dosage group showed a significantly lower discharge dose ($24{\pm}10.4uSv/h$ vs $28.7{\pm}11.8uSv/h$, p<0.05). Age, gender, Tg, Tg-Tb did not show a significant relationship with discharge dose (p> 0.05). The contamination level in each spot of the treatment ward showed no significant relationship with GFR, Tg, Tg-Tb, age, gender, and dosage (p>0.05 ). Conclusion: This study says that discharge of the dose in the patient's body is low in GFR higher and Dosage 150mCi under lower. There was no case of contamination of the treatment ward, depending on the dose and renal association. This suggests that patients' lifestyles or be affected by a variety of other factors.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.177-180
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• 2010

Purpose: As PET test came to be covered by the pay system of medical insurance (July 1, 2006) and the needs for it becoming increased for laboratory purpose, it became necessary to purchase expensive medical equipments to solve those problems. However, as most of equipments that are operated by cyclotron are very expensive as to amount from tens of millions up to hundreds of millions of won, it is difficult to purchase those equipments from the point of medical organizations. It may be possible to self manufacture those equipments with least costs if their parts functions that meets the operators demands. The Nuclear Medicine department of National Cancer Center (NCC) is trying to manufacture and use equipments that can be made with least costs, including introducing 2 medical equipments that can improves the operator's works. Materials and Methods: Example 1: Self production of radioisotope($^{18}F$) divider was fabricated. The NCC's Nuclear Medicine department acquired one acrylic panel, seven 3-way valve, tubing etc. that can be found in the market to make the main body of divider in cooperation with biomedical engineering, and placed them inside hot cell, and installed switching box outside of hot cell to make it possible to control them from outside. This main body of divider were placed in radioisotope transfer line that are manufactured in the cyclotron. Example 2: Self production of $^{18}F$-FDG automated divider was fabricated. The NCC's Nuclear Medicine department used cavro pump syringe that consists the main body of divider in cooperation with biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering developed programs that divides a certain amount. $^{18}F$-FDG automated divider is placed inside hot cell, and cable chords were used in the equipment, and then it was connected to PC outside hot cell to make it possible to control the $^{18}F$-FDG automated divider. Results: From the NCC's Nuclear Medicine department tests that were carried out from March, 2007 until now, we found out that radioisotope can be sent to radiopharmaceuticals composite module we want, and from the tests that are carried out at NCC's Nuclear Medicine department using $^{18}F$-FDG automated divider since August, 2009 it was possible to distribute radiopharmaceuticals into vial intended. Conclusion: Through the two examples above, we found out that costs can be reduced by self manufacturing expensive equipments from NCC's cyclotron room with least costs. Also, it decreased radiation exposure dose on workers, and set up problem solving processes in cooperation with lots of parties related.