Radiation doses from 131I treated hyperthyroidism patients versus life style: - a survey

Background: Radioactive iodine is widely used for the treatment of various thyroid disorders. Safety issues are often a source of worry and anxiety for the patients, their families and comforters. The patients are advised to restrict their social and work related activities. The work presented in this study describes the results of a structured survey conducted on patients visiting our hospital. Materials and Methods: The total number of patients inducted was 419. The patients were asked about their housing conditions, family set up, number of children, travelling modes and travelling time back to home. The hospital leaving exposure rates from the patients were measured and radiation doses to others were estimated. Results: Patients residing in joint family system were 93%. The measured dose rate at one meter were 5.7, 11.0, 15.7, 18.7, 23.0 and 28.0 µSvh-1 for the administered 131I activity of 185, 370, 555, 740, 925 and 1100 MBq respectively. The corresponding radiation doses to others from the patient were estimated as 0.76, 1.53, 2.29, 3.06, 3.82 and 4.58 mSv. The patients using public transport were 78.04% whereas 21.96% used private transport. There were 11.93% of the patients with no children and 88.07% of the patients had children residing with them. It was observed that 1.67% of the patients had no toilets at home and 98.33% had multiple toilets available. Conclusion: The radiation protection advice and regulatory requirements need to be formulated keeping in view the individual patient life styles and other living conditions.