All initial measures necessary to sustain the patient should be undertaken, regardless of radiation considerations. See our Code 5 Contingency Page for details. In general, lead aprons are minimally effective and their routine use during ordinary caregiving is not recommended. These patients usually do not require hospitalization for radiation protection purposes, since there is no external hazard. Use Universal Precautions when caring for these patients if they are hospitalized.
Implant therapy is effective in some cases of uterine, prostate and lung cancer.
During the time the implant is in place, staff entering the room are exposed to gamma rays and must take precautions. Once the treatment is completed and the implant is removed, the patient is no longer radioactive and presents no hazard. Although breakage of a sealed source is an unlikely occurrence, ingestion of radioactivity is easily prevented by wearing gloves. Minimize your time in the room. Radiation exposure drops off drastically with increasing distance.