ISO 18310-2:2021

Overview

ISO 18310-2:2021 specifies methods for measuring and estimating the external effective dose to caregivers of patients treated with iodine‑131 (I‑131) for thyroid ablation after hospital discharge. The standard focuses on practical dosimetry using personal dosimeters worn by caregivers, sets general requirements for patient release and caregiver interaction, and provides guidance (Annex A) and experimental application examples (Annex B). It also requires uncertainty estimation and quality control for measured doses.

Keywords: ISO 18310-2:2021, iodine‑131, radioiodine, caregiver dose, personal dosimeter, effective dose, thyroid ablation, radiological protection

Key topics and technical requirements

• Measurement method: Use of a personal dosimeter (EPD, OSLD, TLD, RPLD) to determine effective dose accumulated by a caregiver in the vicinity of a discharged patient.
• Dosimeter specifications and calibration: Requirements reference ISO 4037 series for calibration and energy/angular response and ISO 29661 and ISO/IEC Guide 99 for metrology terms.
• Discharge criteria: Patient release only when expected doses to family, caregivers and the public comply with regulatory dose constraints (ICRP/IAEA guidance). Document cites common limits such as 5 mSv per treatment to relatives/caregivers and 1 mSv/year for the general public; it also references derived spatial dose values (e.g., ~70 μSv/h at 1 m corresponding to certain residual activities).
• Measurement geometry: Residual activity checks and dose-rate measurements at 1 m from the patient (as per ISO 18310-1) prior to discharge.
• Quality control and uncertainty: Procedures for QC of dosimeters and formal uncertainty estimation for the effective dose measurement.
• Roles and responsibilities: Duties of the designated expert (medical physicist/radiation protection officer) to ensure measurements, provide written and oral instructions, and obtain consent.

Applications and who uses this standard

• Clinical use: Nuclear medicine departments and hospitals that administer I‑131 for thyroid ablation to assess caregiver exposure after patient discharge.
• Radiation protection: Medical physicists, designated experts, radiological protection officers and regulatory bodies using standardized methods for personal dosimetry and release decisions.
• Compliance and safety: Helps facilities demonstrate compliance with ICRP/IAEA recommendations and national limits, and to communicate safe-care guidance to patients and caregivers.

Related standards

• ISO 18310-1 (during hospitalization)
• ISO 4037-1 to ISO 4037-4 (calibration of dosemeters)
• ISO 29661; ISO/IEC Guide 99

Use ISO 18310-2:2021 to implement consistent, auditable procedures for measuring caregiver effective dose after I‑131 thyroid ablation and to support safe discharge practices and regulatory compliance.