Morning Report for March 28, 2002

                       Headquarters Daily Report

                         MARCH 28, 2002

***************************************************************************
                    REPORT             NEGATIVE            NO INPUT
                    ATTACHED           INPUT RECEIVED      RECEIVED

HEADQUARTERS                           X
REGION I            X
REGION II                              X
REGION III                             X
REGION IV                              X



PRIORITY ATTENTION REQUIRED  MORNING REPORT - REGION I  MARCH 28, 2002

Licensee/Facility:                     Notification:

                                       MR Number: 1-02-0002
Lehigh Valley Hospital                 Date: 03/27/02
Allentown,Pennsylvania
Dockets: 03002987 License No: 37-01548-01

Subject: MISSING IODINE-125 SEED

Discussion:

On March 27, 2002, the licensee notified the NRC Operations Center that
on March 1, 2002,the licensee received a shipment of I-125 seeds.  The
licensee concluded, after conducting an inventory of the shipment, that
only 95 of the 96 I-125 seeds ordered were in the shipment.  Two searches
of the licensee's facilities did not locate the missing seed and the
broker (i.e., Alliant Medical Technology (formerly Uro Med Corporation)
was notified of the shortage.  The broker contacted the shipper (i.e.,
Isotope Products Laboratories, a California licensee) and the shipper
conducted an inventory of its stock and performed searches of its
facility and concluded that the missing seed was shipped.  Each seed of
the shipment has a nominal activity of between 0.305 and 0.330
millicuries (mCi) of I-125.  The nominal activity is greater than 10
times 10 CFR 20, Appendix C activity (i.e., 0.010 mCi) but less than
1,000 times (i.e., 1 millicurie).  The licensee has informed the carrier
of the shipment (Fed Ex) of the potentially lost material.

On March 28, 2002, Region I contacted the licensee's Radiation Safety
Officer (RSO) for additional information.  The RSO stated that the
physicist contacted the broker for the shipment and the broker contacted
the shipper.  The paper inventory of the shipper and the broker indicated
that a shipment of 96 I-125 seeds were sent to the licensee.  However,
the lots from which the seeds were taken have been depleted and the
shipper cannot perform a physical count of the remaining seeds to verify
the paper record.  The shipper's representative indicated that the
shipment could have been one seed short.  The shipper is obtaining a
mechanical counter for the seeds to improve the accuracy of seed counts.
The licensee's RSO further stated that the licensee determined when the
package containing the shipment was opened that the package was in good
condition and the container for the seeds within the package was sealed.


The I-125 in each seed has a half-life of 60 days.  The radiation dose
rate level on contact and at 30 centimeters is 450 millirem per hour
(mR/hr) and 0.5mR/hr, respectively.  The seed would be approximately 3
millimeters long by 1 millimeter wide and is greyish in color.

Regional Action:

An inspection of the licensee's activities will be conducted in April
2002 during the regularly scheduled routine inspection.

Contact:  Steven Courtemanche        (610)337-5075
          William Ruland             (610)337-5376