Today, nuclear
medicine offers procedures that are helpful to a broad span
of medical specialties, from pediatrics to cardiology to
psychiatry. There are nearly one hundred different nuclear
medicine imaging procedures available and not a major organ
system, which is not imaged by nuclear medicine.
Nuclear medicine uses very small amounts of radioactive
materials or radiophamaceuticals to diagnose and treat disease.
These tracers are introduced into the body by injection,
swallowing, or inhalation. Radiopharmaceuticals are substances
that are attracted to specific organs, bones, or tissues
and are used to study different parts of the body. The radiopharmaceuticals
used in nuclear medicine emit gamma rays that can be detected
externally by special types of cameras called gamma cameras.
Some frequently performed examinations include:
- Bone scans to examine orthopedic injures, 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, ischemia, cad, 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.
- Renal imaging to examine kidney function.
- Thyroid uptake and scans to analyze the overall function
of the thyroid and show the structure of the gland.
- 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.
- Gastrointestinal bleeding scans.
Please ask when scheduling your examination
if there is any special preparation. Certain tests may require
some slight preparation, varying from fasting six hours
prior to the exam, to being well hydrated, to no prep at
all.
Depending on the exam some Nuclear Medicine test can take
anywhere between a few hours or a few days may be needed
for the tracer to accumulate in the part of the body being
studied. The time needed to obtain the images (from minutes
to hours) will also vary depending on the test.
For further information or an appointment
call 718-670-2778 |
