• Nuclear Medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses the nuclear properties of matter in diagnosis and therapy.
• Nuclear Medicine uses radionuclides / radioisotopes or radiopharmaceuticals that are either injected into the vein, ingested with food or liquids or inhaled in gaseous form.
• Nuclear Medicine exploits the way the body handles substances differently when there is disease or pathology involved.
• Nuclear Medicine shows physiological function as oppsed to anatomy.
• The radionuclide introduced into the body is chemically bound to a complex that acts characteristically within the body. That complex is known as a tracer or ligand.
• Most diagnostic radionuclides emit gamma rays, while the cell damaging properties of beta particles are used in the therapeutic applications.
• It must be noted that the radiation delivered present a very small risk of inducing cancer. In fact more radiation is absorbed by the body during a single short  (1-2 hour) airplane flight than is taken by the majority of nuclear medicine studies.
• Any increased physiological function, such as a fracture in the bone, will show as increased concentration of the tracer; termed a “hot spot”.
• Some disease processes result in non-uptake of the tracer; called “cold spot”.

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