Safe and Effective Care Environment Q 1
The registered nurse is making assignments for the day. Which client should be assigned to the pregnant nurse?
A. The client receiving linear accelerator radiation therapy for lung cancer
B. The client with a radium implant for cervical cancer
C. The client who has just been administered soluble brachytherapy for thyroid cancer
D. The client who returned from placement of iridium seeds for prostate cancer
Correct Answer: A. The client receiving linear accelerator radiation therapy for lung cancer
The pregnant nurse should not be assigned to any client with radioactivity present. The client receiving linear accelerator therapy travels to the radium department for therapy. The radiation stays in the department, so the client is not radioactive. These clients are radioactive in very small doses, especially upon returning from the procedures. For approximately 72 hours, the clients should dispose of urine and feces in special containers and use plastic spoons and forks.
Option B: When brachytherapy is used to treat cervical cancer, the radioactive substance is usually put inside a special hollow applicator. This applicator is called an intracavitary implant because it is placed inside the vagina, or through the vagina and cervix into the uterus, or both.
Option C: Brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation. It uses a radioactive material called a radioactive isotope. The material is placed right into the tumor or very close to it or in the area where the tumor was removed.
Option D: Radioactive seed implants are a form of radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Permanent radioactive seed implants are a form of radiation therapy for prostate cancer. The terms “brachytherapy” or “internal radiation therapy” might also be used to describe this procedure. During the procedure, radioactive (iodine-125 or I-125) seeds are implanted into the prostate gland using ultrasound guidance.