Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear Medicine is a branch of medical imaging in which images of your body anatomy and function are produced from the detection of energy emitted from a radioactive substance given to the patient. The radioactive substance is administered either intravenously or by mouth.
Nuclear medicine images assist your doctor in diagnosing diseases, tumors, infections and other types of disorders. The radiation exposure is similar to that resulting from standard diagnostic imaging X-rays.
During the exam you will lie on a scanning table with a specialized nuclear imaging camera being the only piece of equipment you may notice. The camera is enclosed to facilitate imaging specific parts of the body. It is typically suspended from a movable post or a sleek metal arm that hangs over the exam table. A nearby computer console processes the information gathered from the examination.
Your doctor will be able to give you additional details about the exam, but a general idea of what to expect is provided below.
Preparation
If you are pregnant, be sure to tell your doctor as with any radiologic procedure. Exposure to radiation during pregnancy should be kept to a minimum.
Typically no advance preparation is required for a nuclear medicine exam with the following 2 exceptions:
- If your stomach area is being evaluated you may be asked to skip a meal prior to your test.
- If your kidneys are being evaluated you may be asked to drink plenty of water prior to your test.
Exam
Upon arrival for your exam the technologist will escort you to a room to be given a small dose of radioactive material. The dose may be administered orally or intravenously (IV) and will accumulate in the area of your body to be examined. This typically takes about 30 minutes.
Your exam may be performed immediately after the injection or you may be allowed to leave and return to the imaging center in 1 to 3 hours.
Upon your return the technologist will escort you to the examination room to begin the procedure which typically lasts from 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Our technologist will prepare and guide you by explaining the procedure and positioning you to ensure the highest quality images are obtained from your exam. You will need to remain as still as possible while the images are obtained.
Most of the radioactivity will pass from your body in urine or stool while the remainder disappears naturally over time.
Results
When your exam is complete you may leave and resume regular activities.
A radiologist will review your exam images and report the findings to your doctor within 24 hours. Your doctor will then discuss the findings and next steps with you.
Nuclear medicine procedures result in a small dose of radiation from the radiopharmaceutical injection. There are no known long-term adverse effects from such low dose exams.
Although it is extremely rare, risk of an allergic reaction to the radiopharmaceutical can occur.
