Downloadable brochure - Nuclear Medicine
What is Nuclear Medicine
A Nuclear Medicine Study assesses organ function and identifies the pressence of disease. The study uses small amounts of radioactive substances known as tracers, which are designed to target and image a specific area of the body.
This type of imaging is performed by a Nuclear Medicine Technologist (a Technologist trained in medical imaging who has specialised in Nuclear Medicine) and a Radiologist (a doctor who specialises in medical imaging) or a Nuclear Medicine Physican (a doctor trained to interpret X-rays and Nuclear Medical images). Nuclear Medicine imaging equipment is very specialised and is available at specific Brisbane and regional hospital practices.
Preparation
The preparation required will vary according to the area of the body to be imaged. Please check with our practice staff when making your appointment to confirm the appropriate preparation for your examination.
For bone scans, you will need to be available at two separate times on the same day, about 2 to 3 hours apart. No Barium Study should be undertaken within a week prior to the scan.
If you are pregnant or breast feeding, please notify the staff at the time of making the appointment as the study may need to be postponed.
Procedure
In most cases you will not be required to change into a gown. You will be given an injection, usually into the arm, of a substance (known as a tracer) which circulates in the blood and is absorbed by the particular organs or bones that are to be examined. The radioactivity of this fluid is very weak (just enough to carry an image of the area of interest) and is rapidly excreted from the body, by your liver or in your urine.
It may take several seconds to several hours for the tracer to travel through the body and accumulate in the organ being studied. Because of this, the images may be taken soon after the injection or up to a few hours afterwards.
For the imaging part of the study, the camera will be placed next to the area of interest whilst you lie down or sit up. This process is not painful.
Examination and Reporting Time
Examination times vary depending on the study your doctor has requested. When making your appointment, our staff will advise how long your examination will take.
The images produced are interpreted by the Radiologist or Nuclear Medicine Physician and you can either wait for your results, or alternative arrangements can be made to collect them at a later stage.