Oral administration of (131)I by semiautomatic pipette to a patient with severe swallowing difficulties: a case report

• Published in: Journal of nuclear medicine technology Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 161 - 162
• Main Authors: Karam, Maroun, Dansereau, Raymond N, Smith, Howard S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.09.2003
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Adult; Deglutition Disorders; Drug Delivery Systems - instrumentation; Drug Delivery Systems - methods; Female; Humans; Iodine Radioisotopes - administration & dosage; Radionuclide Imaging; Sodium Iodide - administration & dosage; Thyroid Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Titrimetry - instrumentation
• ISSN: 0091-4916

As an alternative method of oral administration of (131)I to a patient with quadriplegia and severe swallowing difficulties, we introduced, into the back of the patient's mouth, a 200- micro L laboratory pipette containing 74 MBq (2 mCi) of (131)I-sodium iodide in a 76- micro L aqueous solution and delivered its contents. The procedure was repeated a few days later with a 1,000- micro L laboratory pipette to administer 1.48 GBq (40 mCi) of (131)I-sodium iodide in a 270- micro L aqueous solution. The patient tolerated both procedures well. The pipette permitted accurate measurement of both dosages and complete (greater than 99.9%) delivery of the tracer in a small volume to the back of the patient's mouth, as documented by assay of the empty pipette after use. In patients with swallowing difficulties, use of the pipette constitutes a safe and efficient means to deliver (131)I-sodium iodide by the oral route.