Going Home After MIBG Therapy

Your child will be discharged from the hospital when the radiation levels they emit are at a safe level. A small amount of radioactive material will still be present in your child’s urine, feces, blood, vomit, saliva and sweat for a number of days following their discharge. After the first 2 weeks, your child can return to normal household, visiting and hygiene practices.

Even though your child’s levels of radiation are very low and considered safe, it is important to keep radiation exposure to others as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). Please have your family follow the safety precautions outlined below for the ride home and for general living and hygiene once you get home.

• Go straight home. Travel directly home after your child is discharged from the hospital. Do not linger in the hospital cafeteria, go shopping, go to a restaurant, or stay in a hotel or Ronald McDonald House for up to 3 days following discharge from the hospital. If it is not possible to go home, staying at a hotel (or motel, private rental, etc.) may be permitted at the discretion of the Radiation Safety Officer.
• During the car trip home, try to keep as much separation from your child as possible.
• The hospital will provide a disposable bucket and disposable wipes in case your child becomes sick and vomits. If any public bathroom facilities are used during the trip home, wipe down the toilet seat with disposable wipes and flush twice.

• For the first 3 days following discharge, keep about 3 feet away from your child. Exceptions to this rule for short periods of time are OK. Have caregivers stay within 3 feet of your child for no more than 6 hours a day.
• Do not kiss your child on the lips.
• If there are any visitors, make sure they do not include pregnant women or children under the age of 16.
• Have your child stay away from school, child care, and social gatherings or other public events..
• Your child should sleep 6 feet away from others (including pets), and not share a bed or sleep in a bunk bed with another sibling. It is best for your child to have one entire room’s distance between them and another family member for sleep versus adjoining walls.
• Avoid trips and crowds. Avoid unnecessary car/plane/bus trips, large gatherings, or other public events that would put your child in close contact with others.

• Avoid any direct contact with your child’s body fluids. Use disposable gloves and flushable wipes and place these and soiled diapers, menstrual pads, band-aids, etc., in doubled, heavy-duty, leakproof plastic trash bags.
• Keep radioactive waste 6 feet away from common household areas, preferably outside.
• Have your child use a separate bathroom, if possible, and flush the toilet twice after use.
• Clean the toilet seat after each use. Boys should sit down to urinate to avoid splashing.
• Bathe your child or have them shower each day for the first few days after returning home. Having family members use the same shower or tub is not a concern.
• Wipe down sinks after each use and take care when brushing teeth and rinsing.
• Do not share eating utensils, drinking glasses, dishes, toothbrushes, wash cloths, towels, and/or other similar items that may have your child’s body fluids on them. Discard the toothbrush after one week of use.
• Wash dishes separately. In order to minimize contaminated waste volume, do not use disposable dishes or utensils. Separate your child’s dirty clothing, bedding, towels, etc., and wash them separately from the rest of the family’s laundry.
• If your child should vomit or have any unexpected bladder accidents, clean the area with common cleaning products.
• Wrap common items (telephones, remote controls, etc.) in plastic wrap when your child uses them and then discard the plastic wrap in the trash. At the very least, wipe items that your child handles and that are shared by others using disinfecting disposable wipes. 

• If your child is sexually active, they should avoid pregnancy for 9 months after therapy. Kissing and hugging are OK after 2 weeks home.
• Be aware of radiation detectors in public. Even though your child poses no danger, they may trip sensitive radiation detectors at airports, border crossings and ferries and cause them to alarm for months after treatment.
• If your child becomes ill and needs to be seen in an emergency room or clinic, please notify the healthcare team that they received MIBG therapy, so they can prepare and follow standard precautions.