TABLE 2

Survey Results

Parameter	Number	Percentage
Surveys sent	350
Surveys returned	165	47.1
1. Radionuclide routinely used for thyroid imaging
¹²³I	117	70.9
^99mTc (pertechnetate)	41	24.8
Both ¹²³I and ^99mTc	6	3.6
¹³¹I	1	0.6
2. Routine dose administered
¹²³I
100–199 μCi	11
200–299 μCi	85
300–399 μCi	9
400–499 μCi	1
500–599 μCi	2
^99mTc (pertechnetate)
5 mCi	3
7 mCi	1
8 mCi	1
10 mCi	28
10–15 mCi	2
20 mCi	1
0.4–0.5 mCi	2
Did not answer	20
3. Neck positioning
Neck hyperextended	142	86.1
Patient supine with neck extended but not hyperextended	13	7.9
Did not answer	10	6.1
4. Fasting required
Yes	67	40.6
1–3 h	10	15
4–6 h	30	45
7–9 h	2	3
Overnight	22	33
No	98	59.4
5. History taken
Yes	163	98.8
No	2	1.2
6. Views routinely taken
Anterior view	162
1 anterior view without markers	37	22.8
1 anterior view with markers	13	8
2 anterior views: 1 with and 1 without markers	112	69.1
Oblique views in addition to the anterior view	151	93
Right and left anterior oblique without markers	149
Right and left anterior oblique with markers	2
Did not answer	3
7. Method used to acquire anterior view image^*
Clinics using ¹²³I
Counts reported
20,000–49,000	11
50,000–74,000	22
75,000–99,000	1
100,000–149,000	18
150,000–199,000	2
200,000–300,000	2
300,000+	0
Time reported
5 min	22
7 min	1
8 min	6
10 min	50
15 min	5
20 min	3
Other	5
Answered only counts or time	84
Answered both counts and time	33
Clinics using ^99mTc
Counts reported
20,000–49,000	0
50,000–74,000	1
75,000–99,000	0
100,000–149,000	3
150,000–199,000	6
200,000–300,000	10
300,000+	8
Time reported
5 min	12
10 min	5
15 min	0
20 min	0
Other	3
Did not answer	2
Answered only counts or time	30
Answered both counts and time	11
8. Method used to size gland
Yes	72	43.6
No	93	56.4
9. Collimator used for imaging
Pinhole	107	64.8
Parallel-hole	42	25.5
Both	16	9.7
10. Neck palpated for correlation with scan
Yes	67	40.6
No	98	59.4

↵* Many responses included count and time—whichever came first.