ML19256C783
| ML19256C783 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 02/28/1979 |
| From: | Higginbotham L, Metzger J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-79-034, PNO-79-34, NUDOCS 7910120461 | |
| Download: ML19256C783 (1) | |
Text
PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION February 28, 1979 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-79-34 This areliminary notification' constitutes EARLY notice of an event of POSSI3LE safety or public interest significance.
The information presented is as initially received without verification or evaluation and is basically all that is known by IE staff on this date.
Facility:
Veterans Administration Hospital Syracuse, New Yo.rk (License No. 31-0845-01)
Subject:
MISADMINISTRATION Licensee reported that 6 patients were injected on February 26, 1979 with technetium-99m contaminated with molybdenum-99.
Patients doses included from 6 to 35 microcuries of molybdenum-99 along with the intended 2-10 millicuries of technetium-99m.
The licensee has taken the molybdenum / technetium generator out of service and returned it to the manufacturer, in Region III, Mallinckrodt Nuclear, St. Louis, Mo., for analysis.
The unintentional administration of molybdenum-99 was detected by physicians viewing the radiographs of patients.
A licensee chemist confirmed the presence of molybdenum in the radiopharmaceutical on February 27, 1979.
Patient. doses from the molybdenum have been evaluated and do not exceed 12 rems to the liver in the worst case.
This dose is comparable to that which is received by the liver during a routine nuclear medicine examination of that organ.
Further evaluation by the licensee is in progress.
A Region I inspector will be on site on March 6 & 7 to evaluate licensee action and the generic significance.
Region III and NMSS have been notified.
Media interest is not expected.
A press release is not planned by the licensee nor t.RC.
NRC, Region I, (Philadelphia) received notification of this occurrence by telephone from the authorized physician at the hospital at 4:45 p.m.,
February 27, 1979.
Contact:
JRMetzger, IE x 28188; LBHigginbotham IE, 28188 D_istribution:
Transmitted H St K (K Chairman Hendrie Commissioner Bradford S. J. Chilk, SECY Commissioner Kennedy Commissioner Ahearne C. C. Kammerer, CA Commissioner Gilinsky (For Distribution)
Transmitted:
MNBB to ce P Bldg me J. G. Davis, IE,
L. V. Gossick, EDO H. R. Denton, NRR Region r ii cc H. L. Ornstein, ED0 R. C. DeYoung, NRR J. J. Fouchard, PA R. J. Mattson, NRR N. M. Haller, MPA V. Stello, NRR (MAIL)
R. G. Ryan, OSP R. S. Boyd, NRR J. J. Cummings, 0IA H. K. Shapar, ELD (SS Bldg to-sy' R. Minogue, SD W. J. Dircks, NMSS 1452 E7 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION n..
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