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What is the definition of nuclear medicine?
Modality that uses radioactive materials called radiopharmaceuticals or tracers in the study and treatment of various medical conditions and diseases.
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How are radiopharmaceuticals or tracers administered?
- Injection
- Inhalation
- Orally
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What type of radiation do tracers emit?
Gamma
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Typically who are on the nuclear medicine team?
- Nuclear Medicine Physician
- Physicist
- Technologist
- Pharmacist
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What are the types of nuclear medicine equipment and describe them?
- Radioactive Detectors- Gas filled or scintillation
- Gamma Camera-Primary scanner, Can be stationary or mobile
- Computer-Acquires and processes data from gamma camera
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What are the five types of nuclear medicine imaging?
- Static – single image; used for lung scans, spot bone scan, thyroid image
- Whole-Body – entire body or large body
- section; bone scan or tumor/ abscess image
- Dynamic – display distribution of tracers; flow study of blood perfusion tissue
- SPECT – produces thin slices; used for
- cardiac perfusion and brain, liver, bone studies
- PET – images of blood flow or metabolic
- processes at cellular level; measures glucose metabolism in brain and detects tumors
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What are the various clinical applications of nuclear medicine and describe them?
- Bone Scintigraphy (bone scan) – study of skeletal system
- -detect metastasis, stress fractures, bone injuries
- Nuclear Cardiology
- - significant portion of nuclear medicine exams
- - assess cardiac performance, evaluate myocardial perfusion, measure metabolism
- Central Nervous System Studies
- - assesses effectiveness of surgery or radiation therapy
- - evaluate stroke, transient ischemia, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
- Endocrine System Studies
- - monitor treatment of endocrine disorders
- - thyroid studies most prevalent
- Genitourinary Studies
- -provides anatomic and functional evaluation of kidneys
- -excellent for assessment of kidney transplant
- Imaging for Infection
- Respiratory Imaging
- -radioactive aerosol used
- -evaluates pulmonary emboli, COPD, emphysema,
- asthma, lung carcinoma
- Therapeutic Nuclear Medicine
- -cancer
- -radiopharmaceuticals
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What are some key points about nuclear medicine
radiation safety?
- Tracers emit radiation after administration but present no significant hazard.
- Requires preparation area with ventilation and shielding
- Should use gloves and lead syringe shield when administering tracers.
- Must wear radiation-monitoring devices.
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