Estimation of radiation dose to commuters using patient transport from thyrotoxicosis patients treated with I-131 at universitas academic hospital.

The prevailing economic disparity causes patients from various parts of the Free State and Northern Cape Provinces in South Africa and Lesotho to be treated with radioactive I-131 for thyrotoxicosis at Universitas Academic Hospital. Some patients are obliged to travel long distances (4-9 h) using patient transport services after discharge, causing concern for public exposure of nearby passengers due to a public dose limit of 1 mSv year-1. The study aimed to estimate the commuters' radiation exposure from 62 thyrotoxicosis patients post-treatment with I-131. An electronic personal dosimeter and ionisation chamber survey meter were used to measure radiation exposure in the isolation room and from the I-131 patients. The results showed that the radiation dose in the room had a mean of 387 ± 185 µSv for 18.6 ± 6.9 h. Furthermore, the exposure rate with a survey meter at 0.3 m had a mean of 217.2 ± 45.8 µSv h-1 and a mean of 25.4 ± 5.4 µSv h-1 at 1 m from the patients. The dose to passengers in patient transport could be higher if patients were treated as outpatients and adhering to the release criteria of 25 µSv h-1 or 555 MBq limit without considering the socioeconomic factors of the patients.