Objectives: Patients treated by (131)I may require blood sampling in the days following its administration. We investigated the safety of such samples in terms of radioactivity and the possible disturbance of the analyses by these "131I-spiked" samples.
Method: 1) The radioactivity of blood samples from 131I-treated patients was measured (dose rate, surface activity, total activity) ; 2) The risk for the personnel was subsequently evaluated and ; 3) The interference of this 131I-generated radioactivity on the results of routine automated and IRMA assays was investigated.
Results: 1) All RA measures but two were found below the European limits ; 2) Irradiation of personnel was negligible ; 3) The faint radioactivity did not disturb any analyses.
Conclusion: These data demonstrate the safety that results from the negligible radioactivity in these blood samples.