The following was sent by the state of
Colorado Health Department (Division) via e-mail:
On Tuesday December 28, 2021, the Division received an email from St. Mary Corwin Hospital, indicating an unaccounted for iodine-125 seed. The seed was discovered missing on December 20, 2021.
An internal investigation by St. Mary Corwin Hospital verified that all patients that had an iodine-125 seed implanted had their seeds removed. Additionally, the physics and pathology area and equipment were surveyed by two physicists. The investigation by St. Mary Corwin Hospital concluded the seed was likely disposed of in the municipal waste stream.
Estimated dose to any worker: St. Mary Corwin Hospital concluded that due to the high likelihood the seed was in a trash bin, no person would've come within a meter of the seed for any extended period. At [when measured by] a meter, any of these seeds would be at or below background, so most likely the exposure to an individual would be indistinguishable from background.
Colorado Event Report No. CO 210046
A Medical Event may indicate potential problems in a medical facility's use of radioactive materials. It does not necessarily result in harm to the patient.
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A 'Less than Cat 3' LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than
IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as
moisture density gauges or thickness
gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. For additional information go to
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf