What is Nuclear Medicine?
Nuclear Medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses radioactive tracers for diagnosis and therapy. Nuclear medicine acquires images that represent the biological process at the cellular level and primarily shows the physiological functions of the system being looked at. Pharmaceuticals that have been labeled with radionuclides are administered and imaging is done by a gamma camera that detects the emitting gamma rays from the radionuclides. Other diagnostic tests use probes or detectors used to measure the uptake from parts of the body. At times, special radionuclides are used to administer therapy to treat disease.
What is it used for?
Nuclear Medicine can be used to help in the diagnosing of diseases, tumors, infection and organ function. Some specific determinations are but not limited to:
- Thyroid function
- Gall bladder function/blockage
- Bone fractures, infections and tumors
- Kidney function
- Blood flow and function of the heart
- Bleeding of the bowels
What should I expect during the exam?
All studies require the administration of a slightly radioactive tracer. These will be given either orally or by venous injection. Depending on the organ and radiopharmaceutical being used, imaging may be started immediately or after a delay for uptake of the tracer. Typically, patients do not need to change clothes. The patient will be asked to remove any metal from pockets as well as jewelry. Scanning times vary per procedure. There are some exams that require preparations prior to the procedure such as fasting for a certain number of hours or discontinuing medications. There are also many exams in which no preparation is needed. The patient will be notified of these at the time of scheduling.
