|
What is nuclear medicine?
How does nuclear medicine work?
What
kind of equipment is used for nuclear medicine studies?
Is there any preparation for a nuclear study?
What can I expect during my nuclear medicine study?
Is nuclear medicine safe?
Where can I get my nuclear
study?
Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of
short-lived radioactive material to diagnose or treat diseases and to give
information on how tissues and organs work. Nuclear medicine can detect
diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, and cancer. Areas of the body
most often studied include the brain, thyroid gland, heart, lungs,
kidneys, gallbladder, liver, and bones.
How
does nuclear medicine work?
Before having a nuclear medicine procedure
performed, patients are given a radioactive material called an isotope.
Isotopes can be injected, inhaled, or swallowed in liquid or capsule form.
Once the isotope is inside the body, it travels to the target organs or
tissues and gives off gamma rays. Images are then taken of the body with
special equipment that can detect the gamma rays. These images are
interpreted by a radiologist with special training in nuclear medicine.
What
kind of equipment is used for nuclear medicine studies?
Various types of equipment are used for
nuclear medicine studies depending on the procedure. At Diagnostic Imaging
Associates, we use probes, stationary gamma cameras, and single photon
emission computed tomography (SPECT) cameras.
Nuclear medicine probes look like long
metal tubes. They can take images of the body by being waved over the
patient. Nuclear medicine probes are not inserted into the body and
usually do not come in direct contact with the skin.
Stationary gamma cameras are attached to a
tall unit and positioned very close to the area being studied.
SPECT cameras can rotate around the patient
to take the images.
Is
there any preparation for a nuclear study?
Most nuclear studies do require preparation. In these cases, someone from our Omega Nuclear office will call you to go over these requirements before your appointment.
What
can I expect during my nuclear medicine study?
Brain Scan
Brain scans are performed on patients who have seizures, severe headaches,
or who have suffered a stroke. Before your brain scan, you will be asked
if you are allergic to iodine. You may be given a blocking agent to make
sure that other organs do not absorb the isotope. Next, a registered
nuclear medicine technologist will administer an isotope injection and
then position you for scanning. For about three minutes, you will be asked
to stay completely still while the camera scans your brain. After this
scan is complete, another scan will be performed up to two hours later.
This scan will take a half an hour.
Thyroid Scan
Thyroid scans typically take two days. In the weeks before the study, you
may not be allowed to eat certain foods or take certain medications. The
night before the thyroid scan, you will be asked to fast and avoid
drinking water. On the first day of the study, you will swallow the
isotope in liquid or capsule form and be asked to fast for a few hours.
The second day of the procedure usually has
two parts. First, your thyroid will be scanned using the probe, which will
detect how much of the isotope has been absorbed by the thyroid gland.
Second, your thyroid will be scanned with the gamma camera to assess its
condition and ability to function. The two parts of the procedure will
last a total of an hour.
Some patients only need to be scanned with
either the probe or the gamma camera. These patients may have their
procedure performed on the same day they receive the isotope.
Cardiac Scan
Lung Scan
Scans studying the supply of oxygen to the
lungs do not require preparation. Before you are scanned by the gamma
camera, the technologist will instruct you on how to breathe. After the
technologist positions you in front of the camera, a mask will be placed
over your face. The mask will release a tasteless isotope which you will
inhale. In just a few minutes, the gamma camera will record pictures of
the lungs and how the isotope is distributed inside them.
Kidney Scan
Nuclear studies of the kidney are ideal for visualizing tumors, cysts,
blockages, and other conditions. To control the absorption of the isotope,
you may be given a blocking agent. You will then be asked to empty your
bladder and drink several glasses of water. During the kidney scan, the
isotope will be administered intravenously and you will be positioned in
front of the gamma camera. A kidney scan typically takes from a half hour
to an hour.
Gallbladder Scan
Liver Scan
A nuclear medicine study of the liver reveals certain conditions such as
cirrhosis or cysts, or assesses its general ability to function. During
your scan, an isotope will be injected by the technologist, who will
position you under the gamma or SPECT camera. Pictures of the liver will
be taken for about a half an hour.
Bone Scan
A bone scan requires no fasting and is used to detect conditions of the
bones, including tumors and arthritis. One to three hours before your bone
scan, you will receive an isotope by intravenous injection. Leading up to
the study, you may be instructed to drink several glasses of water and to
empty your bladder. This will eliminate any of the isotope not absorbed by
the bones. Bone scans generally take up to an hour.
After Your Study
Yes. A nuclear medicine study carries the
same risk as a standard x-ray procedure. Although having radioactive
isotopes injected into the body may sound scary, these isotopes only emit
gamma rays for a few hours and typically are passed through the body
within 24 hours. None of the nuclear medicine equipment gives off
radiation.
Where can I get my nuclear study?
Diagnostic Imaging Associates’ Omega Nuclear office provides a whole range of nuclear
medicine procedures. Omega Nuclear is conveniently located in the