New Austrian standards for nuclear medicine and X-ray
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The Austrian Standards Association (ON) has issued two new standards aimed at preventing harmful emissions from patients recently treated with radiation therapies from endangering the health of other people. ONORM S 5275 is aimed at providing exact details on how long patients should be quarantined after treatment and is divided into two parts, with the new regulations based on biokinetics, the location on radiation-related activity within the body and possible contamination through breathing. ONORM S 5238 will ensure the safety of implantable radioactive sources, such as seeds used in brachytherapy. It will regulate the use of these implants irrespective of whether they are temporary or permanent, said ON.