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Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine, or scan, uses a small amount of a radioactive substance to produce two or three dimensional images of body anatomy and function. The diagnostic images produced by a nuclear scan are used to evaluate a variety of diseases.
What are some common uses of Nuclear Medicine?
Nuclear medicine images can assist the physician in the evaluation and diagnosis of:
- Tumors and infection
- Bone disease and fractures
- Thyroid disease
- Respiratory and blood-flow problems in the lungs
- Functional studies of the kidney, bowel, gallbladder and heart
How should I prepare for this procedure?
- Bring a copy of the order for the procedure from your referring physician, your insurance card, and photo identification.
- On the day of your exam, wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
- You should drink plenty of water before the test. Take your usual medications.
- If the examination is done to evaluate the stomach or gallbladder, you should not eat or drink for 4 hours before the test.
- Women should inform their doctor or x-ray technologist if there is any possibility that they are pregnant.
What should I expect during this exam?
- Although imaging time can vary, the exam generally takes 20 to 45 minutes, but some studies last a couple of days.
- A radiopharmaceutical, known as a tracer, is usually administered either intravenously or by mouth. What radiopharmaceutical is used and when the imaging will be done - immediately, a few hours later, or even several days after the injection, is dependent upon the type of exam you’re having.
- For most nuclear scans, you will lie down on a table and a nuclear imaging camera will be used to capture the image of the area being examined. The camera is either suspended over or below the exam table or in a large donut-shaped machine similar to a CT scanner. While the images are being obtained, you must remain as still as possible.
- Most of the radioactivity is expelled out of your body in urine or stool. The rest simply disappears through over time.
What will I experience during the procedure?
- Although usually done with a small needle, some patients experience minor discomfort from the intravenous injection. Also, lying still on the examining table may be uncomfortable. You will hear low-level clicking or buzzing noises from the machine.
What should I do after the examination?
- When your examination is over, you may resume your normal daily activities unless otherwise instructed by your doctor. One of our board-certified radiologists will review the images and send a report to your physician. You can discuss the results of your examination with your physician.
For more information on this topic, please visit www.Radiologyinfo.org.
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