Specific features of use of a positron radiopharmaceutical in the automatic infusion system Medrad Intego

Overview

Introduction: Automatic positron radiopharmaceutical infusi - on systems are becoming a common part of PET departments. The aim of this work is to analyze the optimal number of examined patients from one batch of ¹⁸F-FDG in the Medrad Intego automatic infusion system and to evaluate possible factors influencing the efficiency of radiopharmaceutical utility.

Material and methods: The automatic infusion system has certain technical properties and associated limitations concerning the work with radiopharmaceuticals. We created situational models of examination plans for 1 to 14 patients and looked for the model with the lowest average processed activity per examination, considering several application schedules and specific activities of the radiopharmaceutical (2–3.5 MBq/kg, application intervals 20–35 minutes, specific activities of radio - pharmaceutical 750, 1000 and 1250 MBq/ml). We also modeled these schemes for a plan of 8 patients under investigation, looking for the scheme with the lowest activity consumed versus the activity actually administered and the dependencies associated with the specific activity of the radiopharmaceutical. The modeling was calculated using the MS Excel Solver extension.

Results: The number of examinations with the minimum average activity per one administration was dependent on the selected scheme, but also on the specific activity of the radiopharmaceutical. For specific activity of 750 MBq/ml, this number ranged from 4 to 7 patients; for specific activity of 1000 and 1250 MBq/ml number was in range from 5 and 8 patients. In the modeling plan of the 8 examination, the difference in activity required and actually administered ranged from 1648.6 to 4104.7 MBq for specific activity of 750 MBq/ml, for specific activity of 1000 MBq/ml from 1933.6 to 4389.7 MBq, for a specific activity of 1250 MBq/ml from 2218.6 to 4674.7 MBq. We confirmed the linear dependence of the required activity to meet the plan on the specific activity of the supplied radiopharmaceutical.

Conclusion: When considering the economic aspects of using an automatic infusion system, it is necessary to consider the total cost of operating the department. One important parameter that contributes to the actual consumption of a radiopharmaceutical in the Medrad Intego system is the specific activity of the radiopharmaceutical.

Keywords:

infusion system Medrad Intego – Economic analysis