Isotope shortage means a healthcare crisis

Isotope shortage means a healthcare crisis

www.latimes.com

By Thomas H. Maugh II
August 9, 2009
The abrupt shutdown of two aging nuclear reactors that produce a radioisotope widely used in medical imaging has forced physicians in the U.S. and abroad into a crisis, requiring them to postpone or cancel necessary scans for heart disease and cancer, or turn to alternative tests that are not as accurate, take longer and expose patients to higher doses of radiation.

Because of limits on testing produced by the shortage, some patients will undergo heart or cancer surgeries that could have been prevented by imaging, and others will miss needed surgeri

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This is a highly interesting and somewhat disturbing story for those who are taking a greater interest these days regarding the state of health care in America.

What makes this story even more interesting is how American politics regarding the War on Terror are actually causing a Health Care Crisis world wide!

I critical isotope used for the most sophisticated internal radio image has been in a critically short supply for months now with the supply so sporadic that critical medical tests needed as a precursor for the most difficult and sophisticated surgeries is often causing delays of up to a month for hospitals, labs and patients the conduct and need the tests.

The isotope once in plentiful supply has become scarcer and scarcer as the U.S. Government leans on governments throughout the world to move away from using the high yield fission uranium in Nuclear Reactors need to produce the isotope to low yield fission uranium which can not produce the isotope but is likewise also difficult to produce nuclear weapons with as well.

The world’s medical industry which depends on the isotope is now down to a total of 4 aging Nuclear Reactors world wide that still use the high yield fissionable uranium needed to properly radiate the isotope. Those 4 reactors are aging and routinely being shut down for repairs and because of leaks. Canada fears it’s 40 year old reactor shut now for a month because of contamination leaks into the ground water supply may never open again and if it does not for months.

It looks like the U.S. and the so called ‘War on Terror’ is not only incapable of running a Health Care System of it’s own but is jeopardizing the function of Health Care Systems throughout the world!


www.latimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Private companies and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada are looking at new sources of the radioisotope,including the possibility of building new reactors and modifying existing research reactors, but any long-term solution is at least two to three years in the future, experts agree.

The situation is complicated by efforts by the U.S. government, the sole provider of the uranium used in the reactors, to shift to low-enriched uranium from the high-enriched fuel that is now used. Government officials fear that terrorists theoretically could divert the high-enriched form to the construction of bombs.

How convenient for the U.S. that we seem to be the only source in the entire Western World for enriched Uranium.

It seems odd that even here in the United States the Government seems fearful to run reactors with highly enriched Uranium.

The terrorism threat could not be that great, if our actuall security was actuall security.

This is a scam the nuclear industry have been using for years. There is no need for a nuclear reactor to make medical isostopes.

The future of nuclear medicine IMO exists with technolgies such as the cyclotron.

The excuse of medical isotopes helps expand uranium mines which help supply nuclear weapons programs.

Originally posted by ivycutler
This is a scam the nuclear industry have been using for years. There is no need for a nuclear reactor to make medical isostopes.

The future of nuclear medicine IMO exists with technolgies such as the cyclotron.

The excuse of medical isotopes helps expand uranium mines which help supply nuclear weapons programs.

Thanks for the links and the additional information. I look forward to researching this subject more.

Much appreciated.

Originally posted by ivycutler
This is a scam the nuclear industry have been using for years. There is no need for a nuclear reactor to make medical isostopes.

The future of nuclear medicine IMO exists with technolgies such as the cyclotron.

The excuse of medical isotopes helps expand uranium mines which help supply nuclear weapons programs.

Thanks for the links and the additional information. I look forward to researching this subject more.

Much appreciated.