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Radiological Protection of Patients |
After discharge, the patient may be independent and able to carry on a normal life. In some cases however, the patient will need care and assistance with daily tasks such as mobility and feeding. It is the patient's family, or an external caregiver such as a community nurse, who would be providing this care.
International bodies such as the IAEA and ICRP provide guidance on radiation dose limits to both radiation workers and the general public. Within these limits, there are allowances for this situation.
The ICRP states that "medical exposure is confined to exposures incurred by individuals as part of their own medical diagnosis or treatment and to other exposures ... incurred knowingly and willingly by individuals in the support and comfort of patients undergoing diagnosis or treatment."
The IAEA further requires that the effective dose to any comforter or visitor (i.e. caregivers and family) should be unlikely to exceed 5 mSv during the period of the patient's treatment. For children, the level should be less than 1 mSv/yr.
The various national and international discharge guidelines are designed to provide compliance with these recommendations.
If the patient has been treated with a gamma-emitting radionuclide, it may be advisable for pregnant women to either not visit the patient for a week following discharge, or to remain at a distance of at least one metre for this time.
In cases where this is an important consideration, it has been included in the specific therapy discharge guidelines.