INTRODUCTION:Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become an innovative and somewhat crucial tool for analyzing relationships between public health data and environment. This study, though focusing on a Local Health Unit of northeastern Italy, could be taken as a benchmark for developing a standardized national data-acquiring format, providing a step-by-step instructions on the manipulation of address elements specific for Italian language and traditions.METHODS:Geocoding analysis was carried out on a health database comprising 268,517 records of the Local Health Unit of Rovigo in the Veneto region, covering a period of 10 years, starting from 2001 up to 2010. The Map Service provided by the Environmental Research System Institute (ESRI, Redlands, CA), and ArcMap 10.0 by ESRI(®) were, respectively, the reference data and the GIS software, employed in the geocoding process.RESULTS:The first attempt of geocoding produced a poor quality result, having about 40% of the addresses matched. A procedure of manual standardization was performed in order to enhance the quality of the results, consequently a set of guiding principle were expounded which should be pursued for geocoding health data. High-level geocoding detail will provide a more precise geographic representation of health related events.CONCLUSIONS:The main achievement of this study was to outline some of the difficulties encountered during the geocoding of health data and to put forward a set of guidelines, which could be useful to facilitate the process and enhance the quality of the results. Public health informatics represents an emerging specialty that highlights on the application of information science and technology to public health practice and research. Therefore, this study could draw the attention of the National Health Service to the underestimated problem of geocoding accuracy in health related data for environmental risk assessment.

Aim PET plays an important role in accurate delineation of the gross tumour volume (GTV). Various PET‐based tumour delineation approaches are proposed in literature, but are often too complex to implement in clinical practice. The aim was to investigate a double‐threshold method for FDG‐PET tumour delineation that can straightforwardly be applied in radiotherapy planning. Methods FDG‐PET imaging (Biograph 40 TrueV, Siemens) was performed on 29 consecutive lung cancer patients with 37 tumours. A double‐threshold method was applied to obtain two PET tumour contours, based on percentages of the maximum pixel value. Under super vision of experienced nuclear medicine physicians, percentages were varied from 10‐65% to obtain an inner contour that only encloses tumour tissue and an outer contour that fully excludes tumour tissue. Analysis was performed per tumour group (small‐sized, round‐averaged‐sized, lobed‐large‐sized and tumours with necrosis), by determining the distance between the contours. Results were compared to margins applied in radiotherapy plans. Results Average threshold percentages were 46% and 26% for the inner and outer contour, respectively. For small‐sized and round‐average‐sized tumours (73% of cases) the distance between the contours varied from 2 to 6 mm, which was within margins used in radiotherapy. For necrotic and lobed‐large‐sized tumours the distance was significantly larger, in all cases > 5 mm, and strongly depending on tumour shape. Conclusion The double‐threshold method can straightforwardly be applied in radiotherapy planning and has a built‐in quality control check. Hence, it has more potential in treatment of lung cancer patients than the historically used single‐threshold method. In majority of cases, application of double‐thresholding is sufficiently accurate to automatically define the GTV and can speed up delineation in radiotherapy‐planning. P0249 Quantifying 11CO2 exhaled during 11C-acetate PET-CT scans, and minimising detriment to staff, environment and image S. Heard, J. Westbrook; Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM. Introduction: Addenbrooke’s PET‐CT Unit uses C‐acetate scans to assess changes to myocardial metabolism in response to trialled drugs. The metabolised tracer is exhaled as CO2 and extracted via the aircon system. This study was designed to quantify the CO2 exhaled by the patient, extracted by the aircon, and inhaled by staff. We also attempted to trap the gas to minimise detriment to staff and the environment as well as to the image from extraneous activity in the field‐of‐view. Methods: Four studies were performed with injected activity 317±37 MBq. Gaseous emissions were measured by a calibrated stack monitor attached to the air vents. Following two of the studies the patient breathed for three minutes into valved tubing via soda‐lime to absorb the exhaled CO2. This was then measured in a whole‐body‐counter (WBC). After two of the studies the assisting technologist was measured in the WBC. For the last study we designed a system to absorb the CO2 during the 10‐min scan by drawing it via a funnel into a cylinder vacuum cleaner with soda‐lime in the filter and barrel. The apparatus was measured in the WBC. Results: The stack monitor recorded a mean of 13.6±0.8 MBq CO2 extracted to the environment. This was double our prior estimate for the EPR application (based on published data). The breathing apparatus collected 0.21±0.03% of the injected activity per minute. Assuming 100% collection and constant rate of metabolism/exhalation, 14% of the injected activity was exhaled over the first hour. 15 minutes after a 4‐minute exposure to the patient, the WBC staff S396 Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging (2012) 39 (Suppl 2):S384–S497

Introduction.Over the last decade the genetic component of the cardiovascular risk (CV) has particularly been evaluated in young adults; on the contrary, only few studies have had elderly population as main target.Aim.The ROVIGO study is aimed at identifying the prevalence and distribution of CV risk factors in the elderly from the general population of Rovigo (see figure), and to clarify if they depend on genetic or environmental modifiable risk factors.

In the present prospective study started in 2004, we evaluated the potential role of the ''job on site'' model as a formative tool previously proposed by the ''Ministero della Salute'' in Italy and at the moment it is yet in an experimental phase in our Country. We applied this ''job on site'' model for the development of a new Nuclear Medicine Service in Rovigo Hospital (ULSS 18 of Veneto Region Italy). Moreover, there were planned, experimented and applied different organizing working models involving both physicians, technicians and nurses. The indicators of productivity realised in the period August 2004 to June 2007 were taken as end points. In our experience, the ''job on site'' model was particularly useful as a formative tool, and allowed a qualified preparation of the Service personnel as well as a rapid achievement of standard Regional and National indicators of productivity. Moreover, from a cost-effectiveness point of view, the daily working model we applied, that is based on a prolongation of the daily work per operator, proved to be highly effective in our Hospital. The data reported here may be of interest for the future planning of similar Services in the Public National and Regional Healthcare.