Dose rates from patients having nuclear medicine investigations

Dose rates have been measured at 0.1 m, 0.5 m and 1.0 m from patients in a Nuclear Medicine Department. Data are presented for a variety of Nuclear Medicine procedures using doses of radiopharmaceuticals within the recommendations of the administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee (ARSAC). The corresponding figures when the patient left the department, and the time average dose rate over the next 8 h were calculated. At 1.0 m the dose rates do not exceed 7.5 μSv h-1, and at 0.5 m the time average dose rate does not exceed 60 μSv h-1. Assuming that the nurse is as close to the patient as 0.1 m for 20 min in a working day, the accumulated dose over a working day would not exceed 60 μSv. (author)