Nuclear Medicine is a well established branch of medical imaging that uses radioactive tracers to diagnose and treat various medical conditions. Many people have not heard of Nuclear Medicine but there has been a Nuclear Medicine Department at St. George Hospital for over 30 years.
Q:
How does it work?
A:
Before the test begins, a Nuclear Medicine Technologist will give you a brief explanation about the test and what it entails. There are over 80 different types of Nuclear Medicine scans commonly performed at St. George Hospital and the particular tracer depends on what particular scan is being done. For the most common scans, a small amount of tracer is injected through a small vein in your arm or hand. At a later stage, you then will be asked to lie comfortably on a bed and a special camera, called a gamma camera, will take pictures of your body. There is no need to take off your ordinary clothes.
Q:
Do I have an injection?
A:
Most scans require a small injection into the vein. Occasionally the scan requires a tracer to be swallowed by mouth or inhaled as a gas.
Q:
Are there any side effects?
A:
For the great majority of scans, there are no side effects. As expected, most patients report some tiredness following an exercise test. While your body will receive a small quantity of X-rays as part of the test, this is at a non toxic level and often less than that received in other imaging tests such as CT scanning. After the scan, there is no restriction in your activity. You can eat and drink and drive a car.
Q:
What happens if I am pregnant or
breast feeding?
A:
If there is any possibility that you are pregnant or breast feeding, you should inform the Nuclear Medicine Technologist and the scan may need to be modified.
Q:
Is there any preparation?
A:
Most of the nuclear medicine tests do not require specific preparation. However please check with our staff when you make your appointment. Some preparations may be required when you need cardiac, hepatobiliary, gastric emptying, colon transit or renal studies.
Q:
How long will the scan take?
A:
This varies from scan to scan. Normally there is a delay between the injection and the scan that can range from several minutes to several hours and occasionally to several days. Please enquire when you make your appointment.
Q:
Will I glow in the dark and my hair fall out?
A:
No. The radioactivity is very small and disappears very quickly. After the scan you do not have to take any special precautions.
Q:
What is Bone Densitometry?
A:
Bone Densitometry (or BMD) is a technique which uses the absorption of X-rays to access bone density and hence bone strength. Usually, two of these X-rays are taken in each patient- one over the lower lumbar spine and a second over the hip. In this scan, there are no injections and the entire tests takes about 15 minutes. There are no side effects.
