Nuclear Medicine

What is Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear Medicine uses radiotracers to help diagnose and treat a wide variety of diseases and disorders. These procedures provide information about bodily processes and often complement tests like X-rays and ultrasound which show structure. Some diseases can be treated using Nuclear Medicine procedures and in such cases a hospital stay may be necessary.

What about safety?

Although there may be some risk involved with any procedure that involves radiation, that risk is minimized in the following ways:

• only small quantities of radiotracer are used for diagnostic imaging
• the radioactivity is eliminated in hours or days
• equipment, materials and procedures meet strict safety standards

Some procedures are restricted during pregnancy because a safe dose for the mother may involve some risk for the fetus. Please let the technologist know prior to you're injection if you even suspect you may be pregnant or if you are nursing a baby.

What to wear to Nuclear Medicine

For most tests you will not have to undress but it is important that all metal objects be removed from the area being imaged. Since the imaging rooms are cool and you will be in the Nuclear Medicine Department for a while, wear a cozy and comfortable outfit, without metal buttons or attachments.

The Bone Scan patient information sheet and the FDG PET Imaging information sheet can be found in the Patient Information section.