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Nuclear Imaging |
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Millions of nuclear medicine tests are performed each year in the United States alone. Nuclear medicine tests (also known as scans, examinations, or procedures) are safe and painless. In a nuclear medicine test, the radioactive material is introduced into the body by injection, swallowing, or inhalation. Different tracers are used to study different parts of the body. The amount of tracer used is carefully selected to provide the least amount of radiation exposure to the patient but ensure an accurate test. A special camera (scintillation or gamma camera) is used to take pictures of your body. The camera does this by detecting the tracer in the organ, bone, or tissue being imaged and then records the information on a computer screen or film. Generally, nuclear imaging tests are not recommended for pregnant women, because unborn babies have a greater sensitivity to radiation than children or adults. If you are pregnant or think that you may be pregnant, your doctor may order a different type of diagnostic test. We are licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Low-level Radioactive Waste Management Board. We also employ a Health and Medical Physics Consultant. |
Nuclear
Imaging involves using small amounts of radioactive materials
(called tracers) to help diagnose and treat a variety of diseases.
Nuclear medicine determines the cause of the medical problem based
on the function of the organ, tissue or bone. This is how
nuclear medicine differs from an x-ray, ultrasound, or other
diagnostic tests, which determine the presence of disease based on
structural appearance.