Actual Versus Theoretical Pediatric Radiopharmaceutical Dosage

Abstract

During calendar year 1978, the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health conducted a nationally representative survey of United States hospitals to collect in vivo diagnostic nuclear medicine patient data. These hospital patient data were initially used for the identification of radiopharmaceutical and procedure trends. We have extracted the pediatric data from the sample and reviewed the administered activity of radiopharmaceuticals used. These data basically illustrate that higher than necessary levels of radiopharmaceutical activities were administered to children. Therefore, the Center has undertaken an educational effort to alert the nuclear medicine community to this concern.