Background: Injectable radioactive iodine (I-131) frequently is used to treat hyperthyroidism in cats. In human medicine, residual activity after injection of radionuclides has been reported, and the actual quantity administered is recorded after administration.
Objective: Our aim was to evaluate actual administered dose variability after administration of preprepared I-131 single unit doses for the treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats.
Animals: Twenty-seven cats with hyperthyroidism treated with I-131 between April 2017 and March 2019.
Methods: Retrospective observational study of cats treated with preprepared single unit I-131 doses. For each dose, the measured activity before administration and residual activity were recorded. The measured dose and the actual dose administered were compared to the prescribed dose.
Results: Measured activity before administration ranged from 88.4% to 103.3% of the prescribed dose. Mean residual activity was 5.2 ± 3.0 MBq (ranging from 1.5% to 15% of the prescribed dose). The actual dose administered (measured activity - residual activity) ranged from 79.1% to 100.2% of the prescribed dose. Seventeen of 28 (60.7%) of the actual administered doses differed between 10% and 20% of the prescribed dose. One administered dose had a >20% difference compared to the prescribed dose (79.10% of the prescribed dose).
Conclusion and clinical importance: Our study identified variability in the residual and actual administered activity of I-131 as compared to the prescribed dose, which should be taken into consideration when treating cats with (predrawn) I-131.
Keywords: dosimetry; feline; radio-iodine therapy; residual activity.
© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.