The administration step dominates PRRT staff dose —and the variant matrix maps onto the isotope.

Three published facts that drive this SOP

Every number below is sourced inline; this is the evidence backbone the variant selection rests on.

• Administration step is 69 % of total staff dose at 19 % of procedure time

  Riveira-Martin et al. measured 32 administrations of 7.4 GBq Lu-177 DOTATATE — administration accounted for 69 % of total cumulative staff dose despite occupying only 19 % of procedure time. Peak dose-rates 93 ± 31 µSv/h (physicians), 113 ± 56 µSv/h (nurses). Source: EJNMMI Physics 10:84 (2023). PMC10645926.

• Lead apron alone reduces by 56–71 %; residual is the dominant pathway

  A standard PRRT lead apron during administration reduced dose-rates by 71 % (physicians) and 56 % (nurses), with cumulative dose reduced by 69 % and 68 % respectively. Apron is necessary; on its own it leaves the residual dose-rate at the operator-side approach geometry that the source-side cabinet attacks.

• Hp(0.07) per 7.4 GBq dose — without source-side shielding

  Normalized dominant-hand Hp(0.07) for Lu-177 DOTATATE administration: 45.2 µSv/GBq for physicians, 13.9 µSv/GBq for nurses (per Riveira-Martin 2023). At a per-administration dose of 7.4 GBq, that is roughly 335 µSv physician / 103 µSv nurse hand dose per patient — before the source-side cabinet is in the path.

The transport step is part of the dose log

The infusion does not start in the radiopharmacy and finish in the radiopharmacy. The syringe pump, source syringe and patient-side tubing move from the dispensary to the patient bedside or the ward corridor. The IV-pole-cut variant (the β/γ hybrid with the IV-pole-cut back panel) rides a standard ward IV pole — the cabinet stays shielded across the entire transport. Without the pole-mount cut, the staff member walking the syringe across the corridor is the unshielded link in the chain.

Riveira-Martin\'s administration-phase dose figure includes the patient-side approach geometry — it does not isolate the corridor traverse separately. The IV-pole-cut option attacks both: the operator pushes a shielded cart instead of carrying an exposed syringe. For a high-volume centre running 4 patients/week = 200 administrations/year, the transport-step contribution to the year-end extremity-dose log is non-negligible.