Isotopes question / nuclear medicine??

Question

I have a renagram booked which apparently uses isotopes / nuclear medicine and according to the leaflet they have sent me I must steer clear of pregnant women and young children for 24 hours afterwards. The problem is I have a baby and a toddler and I will have to look after them as soon as my appointment is over, I have no other choice. How will this affect them?

Answer 1

Some nuclear medicine departments ask that patients having a scan avoid small children and pregnant woment due to the use of the isotope.  Following your scan, you will be slightly radioactive for about 24 hours.  The tracer (or isotope) used will  concentrate in your kidneys and leave your body through your urinary tract (your bladder and urethra).  Since you will need to be around your kids, there are a few things you can do to help lower their radiation exposure.

1) Keep yourself well-hydrated and empty you bladder often.  Don't overdo the water part, but drinking an voiding will help the tracer clear from your system and lower the amount of radiation.

2) Distance and time: try to keep a few feet of distance between yourself and the kids.  Don't avoid them like the plague, but don't have them both on your lap for hours straight.  Try to find a happy medium, as well as thinking ahead on how to handle certain situations.  Fot example - for the time you'll have the kids, will you need to feed the baby?  Will he/she need to be held during this time or can you feed the baby in her carrier or high chair?  Time-wise, if in the initial hours after the scan you need to hold the children closely, try to keep it brief, if possible.

All in all, a renal scan is a very safe procedure, and the amount of radiation in the isotope is relatively small.  The kids should be okay if you think ahead, drink and void.  Most importantly, try to keep you bladder empty.  Every hour that goes by will reduce the amount of radiation - it will go away not only by you keeping your bladder empty, but also by decay (it will decrease all on it's own).

If you have any questions or need a clarifiaction, please don't hesitate to email me.

Answer 2

Although the risk to your children is small, the goal should be to expose them to zero radiation except for that in the background. Discuss this with your doctor.