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Nuclear Medicine What is Nuclear Medicine? Nuclear Medicine involves the use of small amounts of radioactive materials (or tracers) to help diagnose and treat a variety of diseases. Nuclear Medicine determines the cause of the medical problem based on the function of the organ, unlike an x-ray which determines disease based on structural appearance. Nuclear Medicine exams are safe and painless. Different radioactive tracers are used to study different parts of the body. They are administered by intravenous injection, swallowing or inhalation. A special piece of equipment called a gamma camera is used to obtain images. The camera does this by detecting the tracer in the organ being imaged and then records the information on a computer. What Can You Expect From Your Nuclear Medicine Examination? Upon arrival, you will complete necessary paperwork for identification and insurance. The technologist will review your history with you. You receive the radioactive tracer by injection, by swallowing a pill, or by inhaling a gas. Some organs can be imaged immediately after administration of the tracer, while others require a circulation period. The technologist will inform you of the scan time. You will lie on a table for imaging. You will not hear or feel anything during the scan. The amount of time for the scan varies according to the area being imaged. Some scans require imaging on multiple days. You may leave as soon as the scan is complete. Unless you receive special instructions, you may eat, drink, and resume normal activities. There is no need to have someone drive you. Drinking lots of fluid will help remove the radioactive tracer from your body more rapidly. Your images will be reviewed by the radiologist and a report sent to your physician. Your physician will discuss the results with you. Preparation: Please refer to the patient preparation instructions for information about each individual procedure. |
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