What precautions should be taken with radioactive iodine RAI therapy?

What precautions should be taken with radioactive iodine therapy?

Avoid prolonged, close physical contact with others, especially children and pregnant women.
For the first few days stay a distance of at least 6 feet away from others.
Sleep alone in a separate bed (at least 6 feet away from another adult).

Can I touch things after radioactive iodine?

You will be advised to sleep alone for the first few days after your treatment. During this period, you should avoid kissing or sexual intercourse. Also avoid prolonged physical contact with others, particularly children and pregnant women. If you have a baby, be sure to get instructions from your doctor.

What precautions should a patient take after a thyroid scan?

You may need to be careful to protect others from potential exposure to the material. To do this, your doctor may advise you to flush twice after using the toilet for up to 48 hours after the test. You can typically resume your normal diet and activities immediately after any thyroid scan.

Do you have to isolate after radioactive iodine treatment?

Your body will give off radiation for some time after you get RAI therapy. Depending on the dose of radioiodine used and where you are being treated, you might need to be in the hospital for a few days after treatment, staying in a special isolation room to prevent others from being exposed to radiation.

How long do you have to be isolated after radioactive iodine?

Depending on state regulations, patients may have to stay isolated in the hospital for about 24 hours to avoid exposing other people to radiation, especially if there are young children living in the same home.

How do you clean your house after radioactive iodine?

The First Four Days:

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.
Be sure to carefully wash your hands after using the bathroom.

How long do you have to be in isolation after radioactive iodine?

What can you eat after radioactive iodine?

Foods you are allowed

fruits and vegetables including potatoes.
cooked green vegetables.
meat.
ordinary table salt and sea salt.
fresh bread.
rice and dries pasta.
non dairy spreads such as Vitalite, Pure and non dairy Flora.
olive oil, vegetable oils and nut oils.

How do I clean my house after radioactive iodine treatment?

The iodine-131 will wash out in the laundry….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.

What are the dangers of radioactive iodine?

Some of the risks associated with radioactive iodine include radiation exposure, infertility in men, salivary dysfunction, nasolacrimal duct obstruction, and secondary malignancies. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t a time and place for conventional medical treatment,…

How to detect iodine 131?

Most medical imaging with iodine is done with a standard gamma camera. However, the gamma rays from iodine -123 and iodine – 131 can also be seen by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging.

How do you clean after radioactive iodine treatment?

Rinse the bathtub and sink after using them. You will be sweating out radioiodine, as well as passing it in other bodily fluids. Use water to clean out the sink and tub after you use them to cut down on what you leave behind. A removable shower head works well for this purpose in the bathtub.

What happens to the thyroid after radioactive iodine?

When radioactive therapeutic iodine is absorbed by the thyroid gland, the electrons it emits disrupt normal cellular function and reduce the amount of thyroid hormone which is produced. Therefore, the activity of an overactive thyroid gland is reduced to more normal levels.