Pharmacology & Treatment Protocols Flashcards
7 cards from real Radiation Health and Safety Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pharmacology & Treatment Protocols flashcards as text
How does potassium iodide (KI) protect the thyroid during a radioiodine release?
Answer: It saturates the thyroid with stable iodine so radioiodine is not taken up
Stable iodine fills the thyroid's uptake capacity, blocking absorption of radioactive iodine.
What is the FDA-recommended KI dose for adolescents and adults aged 18 to 40 at risk of significant thyroid exposure?
Answer: 130 mg
Adults 18-40 are given 130 mg, with lower doses for children and infants.
Prussian blue (ferric hexacyanoferrate) is the treatment of choice for internal contamination with which radionuclide?
Answer: Cesium-137
Prussian blue traps cesium (and thallium) in the gut, interrupting enterohepatic recirculation and speeding fecal excretion.
Ca-DTPA is most effective for decorporation of transuranic elements when given within about how long after intake?
Answer: 24 hours
Ca-DTPA is more effective early; after 24 hours Zn-DTPA is preferred for prolonged therapy because of lower toxicity.
Which exposure is KI NOT effective against?
Answer: External whole-body gamma radiation
KI only blocks thyroid uptake of radioiodine and gives no protection against other radionuclides or external irradiation.
How should KI be handled for pregnant women during a radioiodine emergency?
Answer: Given as a single dose only, avoiding repeated dosing
Pregnant women benefit from KI but repeat dosing risks fetal and neonatal hypothyroidism, so a single dose is advised.
When is KI most effective at reducing thyroid uptake of radioiodine?
Answer: Just before or immediately after exposure begins
Protection is greatest when KI is taken before or at the time of exposure and declines as delay increases.
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