Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine involves the use of small amounts of radioactive materials (or tracers) to help diagnose and treat a variety of diseases. Unlike x-ray, ultrasound or other diagnostic test, nuclear medicine determines the cause of the medical problem based on the function of the organ or bone, not its appearance.
Nuclear medicine imaging procedures often identify abnormalities very early in the progression of a disease - long before some medical problems are apparent with other diagnostic tests. This early detection allows a disease to be treated early when there may be a more successful prognosis.
Getting Ready For Your Nuclear Medicine Procedure:
Most of the time, no special preparation is required before a nuclear medicine test. Some procedures, however, may require you to fast several hours before the exam as many images are easier to read if the digestive system is empty.
Please alert your technologist if you have ever had a nuclear medicine test before, have had previous surgery or are allergic or sensitive to any substances or drugs. You also need to let your technologist know if you are pregnant or nursing.
The Test:
The amount of time needed for the procedure depends of the type of test. Nuclear medicine tests are performed in three parts:
1. Dose Administration: The radioactive tracer is injected into your system
2. Imaging: Pictures are taken of the area to be imaged.
3. Analyzing the Images: The radiologist reads the results of your test.
For many tests, a certain amount of time is required from the time the tracer is administered until the images are actually taken. This allows the tracer time to accumulate in the part of the body being studied. The actual imaging session time may vary from a few minutes to hours, depending on the test. In some cases you will be permitted to leave after you have received your dose and then return in time for the imaging.
After the Test:
After your nuclear medicine procedure, you will want to drink plenty of liquids to flush your system of the tracer element. You will more than likely be able to resume your normal activities.