PREPARATION:
- Fasting is not necessary.
- Abundant hydration (water, juice, soft drinks) is recommended.
- The patient must have passes through an interview with the nuclear medicine physician previously, at which point the nuclear medicine physician will clarify the purpose of treatment, side effects, and monitoring. The informed consent form will be provided at this stage.
- Bring recent blood count result.
HOW IS THE THERAPY PERFORMED?
After filling out the registration form at the reception desk, the patient will be sent to the bed resting room. A peripheral vein, preferably in the forearm, will be punctured and maintained with saline.
The drug will be injected into the vein and the saline solution will be maintained for hydration.
After hydration, the patient will be temporarily discharged and should return in 4 hours to acquire the images.
Upon returning, the patient will be sent to the exam room.
In the examination room, the patient will be positioned on the device’s gurney and must remain lying down for approximately 20 to 30 minutes for image acquisition.
GUIDELINES AFTER THERAPY
The main side effect of 153Samarium-EDTMP therapy is myelosuppression, i.e., transient reduction in the number of platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. This effect usually occurs in the 4th week after therapy with spontaneous recovery, usually after 2 weeks.
Therefore, we recommend that a blood count with platelets be collected two, four and six weeks after therapy for hematological monitoring. If there is a significant reduction in one of the blood elements, immediate intervention with blood transfusion and/or hospitalization may be necessary.
The clinical staff of DIMEN will contact the referring physician, so that together they can monitor the patient’s clinical evolution after therapy.
We emphasize that pain relief occurs after about 2 weeks from the treatment, lasting for an average of 4 to 6 months.
OE 059 – Version: 05/2024
Made by: DIMEN Technical Team
