It was explained that man had been treated for a thyroid condition, known a s thyrotoxicosis, with radioiodine. Statistics have shown that almost around 10,000 patients in the UK receive such treatment every year for thyroid problems. Experts have explained that radioisotopes are also used for treatment of conditions of the heart, bone, and iodine uptake scans, and that it lasts in the system for a few days.
A team of researchers from City Hospital in Birmingham have said that doctors had to take more steps in explaining to the patients, making them aware that they were radioactive for almost up to 95 days after treatment. They had also quoted a further four examples where people had triggered alarms, which also included two patients who had entered the White House on a public tour and a man who triggered the security alarm at his bank. Dr Kalyan Kumar Gangopadhyay said, "Security alarms have been made more sensitive and people are going to come across these problems more and more."
The doctors had concluded that this practical advice would have to be included into the new guidelines on the use of radioiodine for thyroid disease, which are to be published by the Royal College of Physicians, later in the year.
