• Nuclear medicine procedures are unique, safe and cost-effective
• There are nearly 100 different nuclear medicine imaging procedures available today
• Nuclear medicine uniquely provides information about both the function and structure of virtually every major organ system within the body
• Nuclear medicine procedures are among the safest diagnostic imaging tests available
• The amount of radiation in a nuclear medicine procedure is comparable to that received during a diagnostic X-ray.
• Nuclear medicine procedures are painless and do not require anesthesia.
• Children commonly undergo nuclear medicine procedures to evaluate bone pain, injuries, infection, or kidney and bladder function.
• Common nuclear medicine applications include diagnosis and treatment of hyperthyroidism (Grave's Disease), cardiac stress tests to analyze heart function, bone scans for orthopaedic injuries, lung scans for blood clots, and liver and gall bladder procedures to diagnose abnormal function or blockages.

Common Terminology

• Planar - Provides a two-dimensional view of the process of function of the organ being imaged.
• SPECT - (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) provides 3-D computer-reconstructed images measuring and determining the function or physiology in a specific organ, tumor, or other metabolically active site.
• Tomography - From the Greek words "to cut or section" (tomos) and "to write" (graphein). A method of separating interference from the area of interest by imaging a cut section of the object.
• Nuclear Medicine Scan - The images produced as the result of a nuclear medicine procedure, often referred to as the actual procedure, examination or test.
• Radiopharmaceutical - Also referred to as tracer or radiounclide. The basic radioactively tagged compound necessary to produce a nuclear medicine image.
• Gamma Camera - The basic instrument used to produce a nuclear medicine image.

NB: Patients Must Bring Old X-Rays and scans for all procedures!