1. Occupational dosimetry in a PET center due to radionuclide production and medical use
JM Martí-Climent, I Peñuelas
Servicio de Medicina Nuclear. Clínica Universitaria
Universidad de Navarra. Pamplona. Spain.

2. Aim
The occupational exposure due to Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to technicians and nurses is related to their working procedures and workload
activity produced and used
18FDG activity distributed
PET studies performed
Period:

3. Personnel Technicians Nurses Dose drawing and preparation
Hot PET laboratory management
Basic cyclotron maintenance
18FDG Distribution since 1998
Nurses
Take care of the patient
Inject the dose
Blood pressure monitoring and sampling

4. Dosimetry Effective dose Finger dose
TLD dosimeters: Panasonic UD-802 AR
Deep depth (1000 mg/cm2)
Finger dose
Ring dosimeter: Lithium-7 borate

5. Activity in our PET Center
Results
Activity in our PET Center

6. Results
18FDG used in our Center
85 % of
7032

7. Mean activity used per PET study
Results
Mean activity used per PET study
414
432
429
420
485
419
Mean
MBq

8. Results
18FDG distributed
GBq/package

9. Collective personnel dosimetry
Results
Collective personnel dosimetry
Nurses
Technicians
r2 = (p<0.002)
r2 = (p<0.001)

10. Results
Nurses dosimetry
Effective dose
Finger dose

11. Technicians dosimetry
Results
Technicians dosimetry
Effective dose
Finger dose

12. Nurses normalized collective dose
Discussion
Nurses normalized collective dose
Dose per activity
(mSv/MBq)
0.032 mSv/MBq
0.087
Dose per study
(mSv/study)
Effective 13.3 mSv/study
Finger 35.9

13. Technicians normalized collective dose
Discussion
Technicians normalized collective dose
Dose per activity
(mSv/MBq)
mSv/MBq
0.155
Dose per study
(mSv/study)
Effective mSv/study
Finger

14. Collective dose vs activity managed
Discussion
Collective dose vs activity managed
Nurses
Technicians
Correlation p< p<0.01

15. Discussion
Nurses procedures
Lead shield holder with handle for transporting syringe (2.5 cm)
Lead pig for dose injection (5 cm)
Dosimetry depends on
dose injected
periods of time near the patient

16. Technicians procedures
Discussion
Technicians procedures
Small volume of radiopharmaceutical transferred automatically from module to hot cell
Tracer is drawn up manually into a syringe
Activity is measured

17. Technicians: FDG package preparation
Discussion
Technicians: FDG package preparation
FDG transferred into a vial placed inside the dose calibrator
Transference stopped
Pneumatic driven system up and down
Remove a sterile filter
Activity measured
With a nipper, vial placed into a 3 cm lead container
Placed into the package

18. Dose comparison Discussion mSv/study mSv/MBq MBq
Efective Finger Efective Finger
This study Tech
Nur
McCormick, Qual. 14
Quan. 40
Gonzalez, Lab
Med 3.9
Chiesa, WB
2 level 11.5
Benatar, Anderson,
Zito

19. Conclusion (I)
For each group a significant correlation exists between doses received and activity manipulated
There is a correlation between effective dose and finger dose
Technicians dosimetry is predominantly due to the activity distributed

20. Conclusion (II)
Special lead containers and syringe manipulators were designed and proved to be efficient for reducing personnel dose
Basic automation and procedures optimization in the laboratory during the first two years provided safety methods when we started FDG distribution