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Patient Alert Re: I-131 Shortage
As AACE first advised you last week, there has been a critical shortage of I-131 in the United States due to a mechanical failure at the Canadian reactor of MDS Nordion. At that time, AACE learned that the problem was scheduled to be rectified by Thursday, April 26.
Today, Thursday, April 26, MDS Nordion reports that it is back to full operational status and is resuming full product availability to customers effective immediately.
While this is good news for most, there may still be some areas which will not see supply levels back to normal for a few days. In that case, you may want to consider the following previous suggestions from AACE to help address this situation:
* Review your patient lists and strongly consider deferring diagnostic testing and treatment requiring I-131 since projections about resolving the problem, to date, have not been "precise".
* If you have patients who have already discontinued thyroid hormone and/or started low iodine diets weigh the risks of each patient while considering their options such as beginning small doses of thyroid hormone, as thyroxine or triodothyronine, until delivery of I-131 can be guaranteed.
* For patients who are already receiving Thyrogen for diagnostic testing, explore the option of using I-123 instead of I-131 for scanning or limit study to serum thyroglobulin levels.
TFA will provide more information as it becomes available.
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