How does nuclear medicine work?
Nuclear medicine uses very small amounts of radioactive materials or radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose and treat disease. These tracers are introduced into the body by injection, swallowing, or inhalation. Nuclear medicine procedures are among the safest diagnostic imaging exams available. A patient only receives an extremely small amount of a radiopharmaceutical, just enough to provide a sufficient diagnostic information. In fact, the amount of radiation from a nuclear medicine procedure is comparable to, or often times less than, that of a diagnostic x-ray.
Frequently preformed examinations include:
- Bone scans to examine orthopedic injuries, fractures, tumors, or unexplained bone pain. Bone scans may also be ordered for follow-up cancer patients.
- Heart scans to identify normal or abnormal blood flow to the heart muscle, measure heart function or determine the existence or extent of damage to the heart muscle after a heart attack.
- Liver and gallbladder scans to evaluate liver and gallbladder function.
- Lung scans to evaluate the flow of blood and movement of air into and out of the lung as well as determine the presence of blood clots.
Nuclear Medicine is available at SAH every Thursday. For questions about your Nuclear Medicine study, or to schedule a study, please call 402-269-7590