AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - RADIOPHARMACEUTICAL PACKAGE HAD EXTERNAL CONTAMINATION
The following information was obtained from the State of Illinois via email:
"Saturday morning a call was received by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency [IEMA] from the RSO at Loyola University Medical Center reporting exterior contamination on one of two packages received from their radiopharmacy, Cardinal Health, that same morning. Staff at Loyola confirmed the presence of contamination with a second wipe which measured less than 15,000 dpm. The contaminant was verified as Tc-99m by Loyola staff. The package involved contained 6 doses of Tc-99m to be used for imaging that morning. Smears taken of the interior of the package and on each shielded syringe showed no removable contamination present. Smears on the exterior of the black nylon shipping package showed contamination only on the bottom of the package and on no other surfaces. The maximum measured dose rate from the empty package near the surface of the contaminated package was less than 500 microRem/h. The second package which had arrived at the same time as the first showed no contamination or unexpected radiation levels.
"The pharmacist at Cardinal Health was subsequently contacted by the Agency [IEMA] that same morning. The responsible pharmacist confirmed he'd been notified by the RSO of Loyola University Medical Center immediately at the time of discovery of the event. The pharmacy's courier vehicle made one other delivery to an area hospital before reaching Loyola and then proceeded to a third hospital. Both other facilities were contacted by Cardinal and told to be on the lookout for potential exterior contamination should cross contamination be involved. The pharmacist indicated that neither facility reported any noted contamination. The pharmacist noted that the couriers for all packages from their facility in Glendale Heights are Cardinal employees using Cardinal vehicles. Once the vehicle returned to Glendale Heights, surveys of the vehicle were completed and no removable contamination or elevated levels were detected. During the interim, a survey of the radiopharmacy was also conducted with no contamination found in the package preparation areas.
"Based on this information and past inspection results of both facilities, it appears this event is an isolated instance where incomplete/inadequate surveys were conducted to evaluate the potential hazard present and assure that packages offered for transport are free of contamination in excess of the limits."
Illinois Item Number: IL13026 |