A woman receiving outpatient radioiodine therapy for thyroid cancer is scheduled to go home the same day, and her radiation safety officer requires a post-therapy dose survey before release. She will be caring for an infant at home, so the discharge advice must address close contact. Which release requirement decides when she may leave the department?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Your dose survey is the go/no-go check: you may leave only when the reading at the required distance meets your facility’s release criterion, not just because enough time has passed. You’ll also need written guidance on keeping the infant at a safe distance.
Full Explanation
For this scenario, the radiation safety officer requires a post-therapy survey, so the facility's survey method and release criterion determine whether the patient may leave. Under NRC rules, release is based on whether the dose to any other individual is likely to exceed the applicable limit; a survey reading may be used to assess that risk. Written instructions are required when the dose to another individual is likely to exceed 1 mSv, and should address precautions such as close contact with the infant when applicable. Releasing on a time schedule alone does not meet the stated survey requirement. A verbal explanation alone does not replace written instructions when they are required. The exact survey distance and facility criterion are determined by the applicable rules and the radiation safety program.