uclear medicine is a specialised area in medicine where very small amounts of radioactive substances are introduced into the body to diagnose or treat disease. Nuclear medicine examinations can be performed at any age. They are useful as they provide information on the function of a specific organ or system. This is in contrast to radiology, which provides information on the anatomy of an organ. The examinations are able to show abnormalities very early on in a disease before the problem is apparent with other tests. In some cases, nuclear medicine examination may be the only test that will be able to give information as to whether a particular organ or system is functioning properly. A few systems in the body in which nuclear medicine is able to assess function include the heart (for chest pain or following a heart attack), the liver, the kidneys, the bones and the thyroid.  

A chemical compound, which contains a small amount of radioactive substance, is given to the patient either by injecting it into a vein, drinking it or breathing it into the lungs. These chemicals are specially formulated so that they are concentrated in the specific organ or system of interest. After the administration of the radioactive compound, the patient may be asked to wait for a period of time before the actual scanning procedure begins. This waiting period is necessary because different compounds will require a different duration of time to accumulate in the system or organ of interest. Some tests may also require multiple scans taken at different times. The particular test and the expected time involved will be explained to the patient by the nuclear medicine personnel before the examination. In most cases no special preparation is required. The doctor will need to be informed of all the patient's medication, or if the patient is pregnant. Generally nuclear medicine procedures are not advised in pregnant patients. The doctor should also be informed if the patient is breastfeeding her baby.  

The patient will be positioned next to a special scanner, which will be able to detect the radiation that is being given out by the radioactive compound in the patient's body. This special scanner is called a gamma camera. During the scan, the camera will be positioned close to the part of the body that is being examined and a number of different images will be taken. Computers will process the images taken by the camera. The results may need to be compared with other diagnostic tests that the patient may have had, to reach a more accurate diagnosis. The nuclear medicine specialist will then provide a report on the findings of the test.  

Nuclear medicine procedures are very safe as only a small amount of radioactive compound is introduced into the body during the diagnostic nuclear medicine procedure. The benefits of early and accurate diagnosis far outweigh the risk of receiving the small amount of radioactive material. Most of the radioactive compounds are quickly eliminated (naturally excreted by the body) within hours or at most, a few days. Drinking plenty of water or liquids after an examination will help to eliminate the radioactive compound more quickly from the body. Compared to other medical tests that involve radiation, nuclear medicine scans compare favorably as most tests involve much less radiation than that involved in other X-ray examinations. Side effects from nuclear medicine tests are very rare for diagnostic scans.  

Therapy (treatment) using nuclear medicine is an effective, safe and relatively inexpensive way of controlling, and in some cases eliminating certain diseases such as the overactive thyroid gland, thyroid cancer and arthritis. Patients undergoing nuclear medicine therapy will usually be asked to stay in hospital for a few days. This is not because of any risk to the patient's health but because the doctors want to ensure that the radioactive materials that are excreted from your body are dealt with safely. In the majority of cases, the patient's daily activities will not be affected. If the patient was required to temporarily stop any medication, or if the usual dose of medication was changed prior to the scan, the patient should ask if and when medications can be resumed. Minor side effects such as nausea or swelling of the salivary glands may occur in nuclear medicine treatment.

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Last Updated:
Thursday, 21 August, 2003