Full Answer
Should I go to the hospital after iodine 131?
It is not common in the United States to hospitalize patients after RAI, but if you are receiving a particularly high dosage of iodine 131 and have no way to protect children or babies, it may be an option. Do not share any towels, razors, toothbrushes, cups, spoons, forks, or dishes. Do not cook for anyone else.
How do you store radioactive iodine in the hospital?
The bedsheets and pillowcases will retain most of the radioactive iodine, as will anything she touches, such as the phone. If we keep a patient in the hospital, we cover the TV clicker and the telephone with Saran Wrap.
What happens if you throw up iodine 131?
Patients that vomit before the radioactive I-131 has been absorbed through the digestive track may lose a significant amount of the iodine they received in the vomited fluid. Their clothing and bed linens may become contaminated by sweat or other bodily fluids.
Is radioactive iodine treatment an inpatient or outpatient procedure?
Ana Maria Kausel, MD, is a double board-certified endocrinologist affiliated with Mount Sinai St. Luke's/Mount Sinai West in New York City. If radioactive iodine treatment (RAI) is recommended as part of your treatment for Graves’ disease, hyperthyroidism, or thyroid cancer, you will most likely be given it as an outpatient.
How long is isolation after radioactive iodine treatment?
You are also required to self isolate for 7 days after your radioiodine treatment in order to minimise the risk of contracting COVID-19 whilst there is still a large amount of radioactivity in your body. A small proportion of people with COVID-19 may become very unwell and require admission to hospital.
How do I clean my house after radioactive iodine treatment?
The iodine-131 will wash out in the laundry. Vacuuming will pick up hair that is shed, which will have small amounts of radioactivity in it since our heads also sweat. The conservative approach would be to cover the chair with a sheet.
How long should my husband sleep alone after radioiodine treatment?
Sleep alone for the first few (3 - 4) days. Avoid kissing or sexual intercourse for three to four days after treatment. Do not sleep together for an entire night until a week after treatment. Avoid prolonged physical contact, particularly with children and pregnant women; limit to 15 minutes.
How long does it take for radioactive iodine to dissipate?
The radioiodine from your treatment will temporarily remain in your body. Most of the radioiodine not taken up by your thyroid gland will be eliminated within the first (2) two days after treatment. Radioiodine leaves your body primarily by your urine. Very small amounts may leave in your saliva, sweat, or feces.
Is it safe to be around someone after radioactive iodine treatment?
Keep Your Distance Here are some ways to minimize radiation risks to other people (and pets) after you have had RAI treatment: Stay at least six feet away from other people, including members of the public, family members, and co-workers, for three to 11 days.
Can you stay in a hotel after radioactive iodine treatment?
There is minimal risk of radiation exposure to others as long as patients follow reasonable radiation safety precautions. However, staying in hotels after radioactive iodine treatment is not recommended at this time.
Can I be around my child after radioactive iodine treatment?
RAI therapy does use a radioactive drug, but if the patient follows instructions provided by the doctor, RAI is considered safe for the family of the patient and ultimately for members of the public.
How much water should I drink after Rai?
Patients undergoing RAI treatment for differentiated thyroid carcinoma are routinely encouraged to ingest about 2 - 3 L (8 - 10 cups) of water a day following treatment with RAI, to encourage diuresis and thus enhancing the elimination of RAI through renal excretion [15].
What happens if you are exposed to someone with radioactive iodine?
If too much radioactive iodine enters your body, the radioactive iodine will destroy your thyroid gland so that the gland will stop making hormones. Too much radioactive iodine in your body can also cause thyroid nodules or cancer.
Can you wash radiation off clothes?
Any radioactive material that gets into surface water or ground water sources will be diluted to very low levels by the water and will be safe to use for washing skin, hair, and clothing.
Can I touch my cat after radioactive iodine treatment?
Your cat may be slightly woozy when you pick them up. For the first two weeks after I-131: Keep your cat indoors or supervised when outside to prevent contact with other people. Limit close contact (closer than 1 foot) to one hour per day.
What to do if your feet are radioactive?
Do's. DO - Wear Slippers (cheap and disposable) or thick socks at all times. Your feet perspire and will leave radioactive “footprints”. DO - Place a plastic drop cloth under your bed sheets and above your mattress pad. Wrap your pillow (under the pillow case) with plastic cooking wrap.
Can bleach cause radioactive iodine?
Dont's. DON'T - USE BLEACH or bleach containing cleaners. Bleach will cause radioactive iodine to become gaseous and may spread far and wide. DON'T - Forget to remove any drop-in toilet tank cleaners that have bleach in them. DON'T - Eat any foods with cores or bones (such as apples, fried chicken, etc.) or chew gum.
How to get radioactive iodine out of a daughter's body?
A. The iodine will come out of your daughter's pores in sweat, urine, and stools. Frequent hand washing will reduce the spread of contamination. The bedsheets and pillowcases will retain most of the radioactive iodine, as will anything she touches, such as the phone.
How long does it take for radioiodine to come out of your body?
My institution recommends the following: The First Four Days : 1. Most of the radioiodine in your body will come out through the urine and stool. A small portion of radioactivity will be found in your saliva and sweat. To decrease the spread of radioactivity: If possible, use a separate bathroom.
How to reduce radioactivity?
To decrease the spread of radioactivity: If possible, use a separate bathroom. Flush the toilet two times after each use. Men should sit down when urinating. If urine should be spilled/splashed, wash and rinse the affected area three times, using paper towels or tissue.
How to reduce radiation dose to others?
To decrease the radiation dose to others: You should sleep in a separate bed. Cover the pillow with two pillowcases or a water-resistant cover if possible. Remain in your home for the first four days. Do not hold young children or spend much time near a pregnant woman.
How far away should you be from a pregnant woman?
Do not hold young children or spend much time near a pregnant woman. Family members should stay about six feet or more from you. After the first two days, they may be closer for brief periods, such as a few minutes. At the end of four days wash your laundry, including the pillowcases, by itself.
Does iodine 131 wash out?
She should have received written instructions on handling of the linens and bath towels. The iodine-131 will wash out in the laundry. Vacuuming will pick up hair that is shed, which will have small amounts of radioactivity in it since our heads also sweat.
How long can you live after iodine treatment?
You can expect to live a fairly normal life after radioactive iodine treatment but your life will probably not be exactly as it was before your procedure. For most people, this means that you can expect to live at 80-90% of your 'normal'.
How long does radioactive iodine affect sperm count?
Important to men is the fact that radioactive iodine can cause short-term reductions in sperm count for up to 2 years after your procedure (8). This may or may not be important to you based on your age, your gender, and whether or not fertility is something you are interested in but, again, it's worth knowing about.
How to avoid weight gain after RAI?
Your best bet to AVOID weight gain after RAI is to go into your procedure with a normal weight and to maintain a healthy lifestyle both before and after. Just realize that you will always be in a 'sensitive' category and you will be more likely to gain weight compared to people with their thyroid intact. #3.
What happens if you destroy your thyroid gland?
And, if you destroy your thyroid gland, it turns out that that may have consequences on your metabolism. Anectodally, you've probably already heard stories about people gaining weight after their procedure.
Can you survive after RAI?
You can obviously survive after RAI (otherwise they wouldn't do the procedure) but I want to teach you how to thrive afterward. And to key to getting there is to understand what happens to your body after this procedure and how it influences your thyroid function.
Can you take a thyroid pill every day?
There's no way for doctors to give you a pill once a day and for that pill to perform the exact same function that your thyroid gland does every minute of every day. Because of this, people may experience symptoms which may lead them to want to restore whatever thyroid function they can.
Can beta cells take up iodine?
But you probably at least know a little bit about RAI or you wouldn't be here.
What are the risks of radioactive iodine?
Risks to others, to include risks to young children and pregnant women. The risk to pregnant women is in the delivery of radioactive I-131 to the developing fetal thyroid. The risk to a lactating mother is the increased radiation dose to breast tissue and transferal of radioactive iodine to the nursing infant.
What is the radiation from I-131?
Radioactive I-131 emits both gamma and beta radiation. The gamma radiation allows it to be easily detected and located with radiation survey meters and imaged by nuclear medicine imaging techniques. The gamma radiation from I-131 in the patients is the major source of external radiation to others after an I-131 procedure.
What is the NRC radiation safety brochure?
The NRC staff developed a printable brochure to inform patients about radiation safety precautions that they need to follow before, during, and after treatment with radioactive drugs. The brochure is intended to foster a radiation-safety oriented dialogue between patients and their health care team. [NOTE: This tri-fold brochure is formatted to print double-sided].
What are the elements that make up iodine?
Each element, such as iodine, is composed of a set number of electrons, protons, and neutrons that give it its chemical and physical characteristics. The number of neutrons in the nucleus may vary and provide a number of different iodine atoms that chemically act the same but have different physical properties.
Is rai safe to use?
This radioactive iodine is used in the form of sodium iodide and because of the extremely small amounts used for imaging or destroying cells, RAI is safe to use in individuals who have had allergic reactions to seafood or X-ray contrast agents. RAI is given by mouth in pill or liquid form.
Is beta radiation a concern?
The beta radiation is the primary concern when there is an oral uptake of I-131 indirectly from contaminated surfaces or directly by transfer from the patient. For the radioactive iodine to be effective, the availability of stable iodine has to be reduced so more radioactive I-131 will be used by the cells.
Can I-131 be absorbed through the digestive tract?
Contamination of the area the patient is in can happen in a number of ways. Patients that vomit before the radioactive I-131 has been absorbed through the digestive track may lose a significant amount of the iodine they received in the vomited fluid.
How long after a 131 injection should you wait to use a 131?
During the initial phase of treatment, any bodily fluid will have some radioactive I 131 associated with it. Therefore, for the first 48 hours after administration the primary consideration is to limit the spread of contamination from bodily fluids.
How long after iodine is taken to go away?
After the first two days post-administration, 98% of the iodine will be gone and you can begin to ease up on these instructions. However, many providers will recommend that you try to keep it up for the first week post-administration, just to be overly cautious.
How long does it take for iodine to be excreted?
Excretion is so rapid that as long as you have reasonable kidney function, 50% of the administered iodine is gone within eight hours. Another 50% of the remaining circulating iodine is excreted during the second eight hours and so on.
What percentage of iodine is fixed in thyroid?
The remaining 1.6% of the iodine at this point is primarily fixed in any residual thyroid tissues and no longer circulating. It's this residual fixed iodine that achieves the therapeutic effect of the treatment. You should first understand that you don't need to place yourself in an isolation room.
How does radioiodine work?
In short, radioiodine is administered as a salt pill or solution. Instead of being normal salt, sodium chloride (NaCl), it is sodium iodide (NaI). Once you swallow the treatment dose, iodine-131 ( 131 I) is rapidly absorbed into the circulation.
How long should you wash your clothes after a radioactive reaction?
Personal clothing, sheets, bedding, washcloths, and towels should be collected and washed separately for the first 48 hours. After washing, run the washing machine through an extra wash cycle to clear out any residual radioiodine before using it for others.
What tissue is 131 I?
Only one tissue in the body has a need to fix and hold onto the iodine, namely thyroid tissu e. The remaining tissues in the body treat the iodine as salt and the iodine is rapidly cleared from the body circulation, ...