Nuclear Medicine includes all medical techniques that involve
the administration of radioactive isotopes (radiopharmaceuticals)
for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes
For diagnostic purposes, a small amount of a short-lived
radioisotope is administered intravenously, and its localization
within the body is then recorded and imaged by means of
an instrument called a “gamma camera”. The modern
gamma camera can record two-dimensional information (like
X-rays) or three-dimensional information (like CT or MRI)
using a technique called “Single Photon Emission Computed
Tomography”, or SPECT. Using either method, metabolic
and functional information about different organs can be
obtained, that often complements the anatomic information
provided by tests such as X-rays, CT or Ultrasound. The
most commonly used radioisotope today is Technetium-99m,
an isotope with a half-life of only six hours. It is often
incorporated into a larger compound that in turn determines
in which body organ it will become localized.
Different radiopharmaceuticals are used to study different
organs and functions. A few common examinations and their
indications are:
A common examination, used to diagnose
and localize recent fractures, metabolic abnormalities and
metastatic tumors, located anywhere in the skeleton.
The two most common kinds of cardiac scans
are used to evaluate the presence and severity of coronary
artery disease, and to evaluate cardiac function.
There are several different kinds, which are
used to evaluate kidney function
and anatomy.
For the diagnosis of an acutely inflamed
gallbladder (Cholecystitis).
Because of the small amount of radioactive substances injected, and their extremely short physical and biological half-life (they decay rapidly and/or are rapidly excreted from the body) the radiation dose from these diagnostic procedures is quite small — usually less than X-rays or CT scans, for example. The risk of allergic reactions is extremely small. The River Radiology nurse or technologist will conduct an interview and administer the injection. Some nuclear medicine scans require patients to wait or return a few hours after the injection.
The preparation is different for each kind of examination.
Bone Scan: There are no dietary or medication restrictions. However, the patient will be asked to drink three (3) 8oz. glasses of water between the time of the radioisotope injection and the scan procedure.
Cardiac Scan: There are no dietary or medication restrictions.
Renal Scan: There are no medication restrictions. Patients can not drink any caffeine drink (coffee, coke) prior to the exam. However, patients should drink three (3) 8 oz. glasses of water before their exam.
Biliary Scan: Patients must NOT eat or drink anything 4-6 hours before the exam.
The examination procedure
A radioisotope is usually injected intravenously with a very small needle. During the actual scanning procedure you will be required to lie still on a comfortable table. Most examinations take 30-60 minutes to complete. Please allow up to one hour for your appointment time.
In most cases, reports are provided within two business
days.
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