What is NUCLEAR MEDICINE?
Nuclear medicine is a branch of radiology that uses radioactive materials to determine if certain organs such as the heart, kidneys, liver, thyroid, brain and lungs are working properly. It is also used to examine the bones for cancer, infection or trauma. Common uses of this procedure. A unique aspect of a nuclear medicine test is its extreme sensitivity to abnormalities in an organ’s structure or function. As an integral part of patient care, nuclear medicine is used in the diagnosis, management, treatment and prevention of serious disease. Nuclear medicine imaging procedures often identify abnormalities very early in the progression of a disease –long before some medical problems are apparent with other diagnostic test. This early detection allows a disease to be treated early in its course when there may be a more successful prognosis.
Professionally Licensed Nuclear Medicine Tech performs full line of tests, including Bone Scans, Liver/Spleen Scans, Gallbladder (HIDA) Scans, WBC, Renal Scans, Thyroid Uptakes & Scans, Gastric emptying scan, Para thyroid and Nuclear Cardiology.
- Bone Scan – Detect bone metastases, musculoskeletal trauma, low back pain, benign and malignant bone lesions, heterotropic bone disease, and Paget’s Disease.
- 3 Phase Bone Scan – Osteomyelitis, musculoskeletal trauma, stress fracture, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
- Cardiac Muga – Ventricular regional wall motion, Ventricular ejection fraction, monitor cardiotoxicity of Doxorubicin, Differentiate pulmonary and cardiac causes of dyspnea.
- Cardiac 2 Day Stress Test – Coronary artery disease, hibernating myocardium, risk assessment of coronary artery disease, efficacy of therapeutic interventions.
- Gastric Empty – Functionality of gastric dysmotility.
- Hepatobiliary (GB) – HIDA Scan cholecystitis, liver transplants, evaluate jaundice, gallbladder function, choledochal cyst, biliary enteric anastomosis, hepatic biliary tract obstruction, post surgical biliary tract, bile leak, biliary atresia, right upper abdomen (RUQ) pain.
- Liver / Spleen – Chronic liver disease, Pancytopenia, liver / spleen size and configuration, focal nodular, accessory splenic tissue.
- Parathyroid – Parathyroid adenoma, hypercalcemia, cancer localization for pre-surgical parathyroidectomy.
- Thyroid Uptake – Hypothyroidism, enlarged glands, nodules, ectopic thyroid tissue, struma ovarii, and ingual thyroid.
- Renal w & w/o Lasix – Renal profusion, function, trauma, renovascular hypertension, collecting system obstruction, transplants, and flank pain.