The following information was received from the State of
Illinois via email:
The RSO [Radiation Safety Officer] for Rush University Medical Center in Chicago (IL-01766-01) notified the Agency [Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Bureau of Radiation Safety] at approximately 1600 [CDT] today that a reportable event transpired while attempting to administer Y-90 TheraSpheres. The licensee attempted to administer Y-90 to a patient this morning and was unable to move the dose through the tubing to the patient. A different administration route was selected and also met with inability to deliver the dose. This treatment was aborted.
A second patient was scheduled for Y-90 administration this afternoon. The licensee encountered resistance in the second delivery system and was unable to deliver the Y-90 dose. This treatment was also aborted. Both patients were imaged and verified to not have been administered any Y-90. The licensee is currently performing a PET [Positron Emission Tomography] scan on the delivery systems to look for occlusions that may have impeded delivery. IEMA [Illinois Emergency Management Agency] staff has requested information on lot numbers for the individual doses.
Details are pending from the licensee on root cause and lot numbers. The licensee will not administer any additional doses from this lot number until root cause is identified. Further details are pending.
Illinois Item No.: IL180033
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.