Radiation protect during the ventilation scintigraphy of Tc99m DTPA radioaerosol in pediatric application

Lung ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy is of great value for the management of patients with both primary lung disease and heart disease, by proving patho- physiological information of importance for the diagnosis, follow-up and functional evaluation of the patients. Krypton 81m radioactive gas is preferable for pediatric application due to its short half-life. However, the rubidium-krypton 81m generator is not popular in hospital of our country. Tc99m DTPA radioaerosol ventilation scintigraphy has its unique convenient for clinical application. But, the most disadvantage of clinical application of Tc99m DTPA radioaerosol is contamination of environment when the poor-cooperative patient can't breathe by mouth. For this reason, we design the certain procedure to reduce the radioaerosol contamination. During May to Aug., 1999, we collect 36 pediatric patients (male to female ratio 2:1, age from 6 months to 20 years old) with clinical history of lung or heart disease, including congenital heart disease, asthma and so on. Before the cases receive 10 to 15 mCi Tc99m DTPA radioaerosol ventilation scan, all of them were trained with breath training. And during the ventilation scintigraphy, the special mouth mask is designed to prevent the radioaerosol leakage into atmosphere. Then Geiger-Muller survey meter was arranged to detect the environmental contamination of radioaerosol in the mask, one and two metes away from the mask every 10 minutes during ventilation scintigraphy procedure and 1 hour after finishing image. Two nuclear medicine physicians evaluated imaging quality of ventilation scintigraphy. Results: Among thirty-six pediatric patients with prior breath training, thirty-two cases are successful to proceed the Tc99m DTPA ventilation scintigraphy. The other four cases that were under three-year-old fail to receive ventilation scintigraphy. There is limited detectable radioactivity in the mouth mask at early 10 minute by Geiger-Muller counter. No significant environmental radio-aerosol contamination is detectable. Conclusions: (1) Tc99m DTPA aerosol ventilation scintigraphy is available for pediatric patients with prior breath training. (2) Under protection of mouth mask, the leakage of Tc99mDTPA radioactive aerosol into atmosphere is reduced. (author)