Motor neglect

Abstract

<b>2834</b> <h3><b>Objectives</b></h3> Patients undergoing myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) are often scheduled for an echocardiogram study the same day. Some technicians have expressed concerns regarding their radiation exposure potential while imaging these patients. Since echo technicians’ exposure to radioactive patients is not well described in current literature, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the whole body radiation exposure that technicians receive from patients undergoing an echocardiogram post MPI. The secondary objective was to identify the necessity of dosimetry badging for employee safety in order to address technician concerns of exposure. <h3><b>Methods</b></h3> This was an observational study at Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital/Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, WI that included 129 patients receiving both a 99m Tc-sestamibi MPI and an echo procedure the same day. A lead pig containing two badges labeled “Upper” and “Lower” were placed in each of six echo labs. Echo technicians were instructed to place the “Upper” badge on the left collar of their shirt and the “Lower” badge on their right side, approximately six inches below their armpit, ensuring that it would come into contact with the patient during imaging. The badges and related documentation were collected and rotated approximately every two weeks. <h3><b>Results</b></h3> Of the 129 patients in the study, 111 were excluded as a result of scheduling the MPI after the echo study. This scheduling was found to be incidental. Echo technician exposures were recorded utilizing the badge exposure data from the 18 remaining patients. Preliminary results demonstrate that technician exposures varied from non-detectable to 10 mrem with the “Upper” badges, on average, recording a lesser exposure rate than the “Lower” badges. <h3><b>Conclusions</b></h3> Most patients receiving an echo were unintentionally scheduled in a way that minimized technicians’ exposure, either by having the study prior to MPI or after the patient’s radioactivity had decayed. Despite this, 2 week badge exposures still collected to up to 10 mrem. In the absence of a standardized scheduling protocol, there is a risk that the 111 (86%) patients excluded from this study would add to the radiation exposure if they had received the MPI prior to the echo study. Conservative radiation badging for whole body dose begins at 100 mrem in order to ensure compliance with regulations that require badging begins at 500 mrem. Exposures of this level would indicate a necessity to badge and adjust radiation safety education requirements of employees in the echo department.