PNO-I-98-058, on 981130,informed Region I That There Was Potential Loss of nuclear-powered Cardiac Pacemeker, Containing 250 Mg of plutonium-238,which Equates to Approx 4.27 Ci.Region I Will Continue to Follow Up on Incident

PNO-I-98-058:on 981130,informed Region I That There Was Potential Loss of nuclear-powered Cardiac Pacemeker, Containing 250 Mg of plutonium-238,which Equates to Approx 4.27 Ci.Region I Will Continue to Follow Up on Incident

ML20196D795
Person / Time
Site:	07001500
Issue date:	12/01/1998
From:	Bhalla N, Darden T, Shanbaky M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
References
PNO-I-98-058, PNO-I-98-58, NUDOCS 9812020327
Download: ML20196D795 (1)

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l December 1. 1998  !

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNIJSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-I-98-058  !

This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE  !

safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially j received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is '

known by Region I staff in King of Prussia. Pennsylvania on this date. t Facility _ Licensee Emeroency Classification Washington Hospital Center Notification of Unusual Event 1 Washington Hospital Center Alert i 110 Irving St., N.W. Site Area Emergency Washington. District Of Columbia 20010 General Emergency l

Dockets: 07001500 License No: SNM-1446 X Not Applicable

Subject:

LOSS OF A NUCLEAR-POWERED CARDIAC PACEMAKER I

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on November 30. 1998, the Radiation Safety '

. Officer (RS0) of Washington Hospital Center informed Region I that there I was a potential loss of a nuclear-)owered cardiac pacemaker, containing '

250 milligrams of plutonium-238, w11ch ecuates to approximately 4.27 ,

curies. The pacemaker had been explantec from an expired patient at a (

funeral home on August 26. 1998 and returned to Washington Hospital i Center, the pacemaker licensee, for disposal by Washington Hospital Center. lr i

~The RSO stated that the pacemaker had been mailed to St. Jude Medical. I Inc. of Sylmar. California on September 15. 1998 via U.S. Postal Service.  !

St. Jude Medical. Inc. was sup)osed to receive the pacemaker on behalf of  ;

-the pacemaker vendor. On or a)out October 22, 1998, the licensee called i St.' Jude Medical for confirmation of receipt of the pacemaker. . However.  !

St. Jude Medical indicated that it had not received the pacemaker. i In its search for the missing pacemaker, surveys were conducted of j various areas of the Washington Hospital Center facility, including the ,

, Postal Area. Washington Hospital Center has requested that St. Jude '

Medical. Inc. conduct an extensive search, including radiological

-surveys, of its various facilities in its continued attempts to locate

.the missing pacemaker.

Region I will' continue to follow up on the incident and is planning an

'on-site inspection. The. District of Columbia has been informed. The Reaion 1 Office of Public Affairs is prepared to respond to media

' irdi ries.

The information is current as of 2:00 p.m.. December 1. 1998.

Contact:

Neelam Bhalla Teresa Darden Mohamed Shanbaky (610)337-5188 (610)337-5245 (610)337-5209 yygoy mm - tgl..

e= =-o. ,, 1 o I  ;

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