Patients warned brief isotope shortage could affect non-urgent nuclear exams

VANCOUVER – A brief shutdown of the aging Chalk River nuclear reactor in Ontario will likely force health care facilities in British Columbia to reschedule medical examines that aren’t urgent.

The Provincial Health Services Authority will release more details later today about any rescheduling caused by last week’s reactor shutdown that interrupted production of molybdenum 99, an isotope used to check heart function and for bone and organ scans.

Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. announced repairs to a fuel rod flask were completed late Friday and the reactor was running again, but the Provincial Health Services Authority says it expects a return to a full supply of isotopes will take several days.

Health Shared Services BC, the group that co-ordinates the operations of B.C.’s six health authorities, says officials have managed similar isotope shortages in the past and have reduced the patient care impact by sharing and co-ordinating nuclear medicine supplies across the province.

The Chalk River facility is one of the world’s largest producers of material used for medical isotopes and the problem at the aging plant occurred at the same time troubles at plants in South Africa and Holland.

It’s not known when the Dutch and Pretoria-area reactors will be back in operation.