FAQ's on Nuclear Medicine

Q- What is Nuclear Medicine?

Ans- Nuclear Medicine is a medical specialty that is used to diagnose and treat diseases in a safe and painless way. Nuclear medicine procedures permit the determination of medical information that may otherwise be unavailable, require surgery, or necessitate more expensive and invasive diagnostic tests. Nuclear medicine imaging is unique, because it provides doctors with information about both structure and function.The procedures often identify abnormalities very early in the progression of a disease - long before some medical problems are apparent with other diagnostic tests. The early detection allows a disease to be treated sooner in its course when a more successful prognosis may be possible.

Q- Why is it called Nuclear Medicine?

Ans- Nuclear medicine refers to medicine (a pharmaceutical) that is attached to a small quantity of radioactive material (a radioisotope). This combination is called a radiopharmaceutical. There are many different parts of the body. Which radiopharmaceutical is used will depend upon the condition to be diagnosed or treated.The radioactive part of the radiopharmaceuticalthat emits radiation, known as gamma rays (similar to x-rays), is then detected by a special type of camera, called a gamma camera that works with computers to provide very precise pictures about the area of the body being scanned.

Q- How do radiopharmaceuticals work?

Ans- Radiopharmaceuticals are introduced into the patient's body by injection, swallowing, or inhalation. The amount given is very small. The pharmaceutical is designed to go to a specific place in the body where there could be disease or an abnormality.
The radioactive part of the radiopharmaceutical that emits radiation, known as gamma rays (similar to x-rays), is then detected using a special camera called a gamma camera. This type of camera allows the nuclear medicine physician to see what is happening inside your body.
During this imaging procedure, the patient is asked to lie down on a bed and then the gamma camera is placed a few inches over the patient's body. Pictures are taken over the next few minutes. These images allow expert nuclear medicine physicians to diagnose the patient's disease.

Q- Are radiopharmaceuticals safe?

Ans- Nuclear medicine procedures are among the safest diagnostic imaging exams available. The amount of radiation in a typical nuclear imaging procedure is comparable with that received during a diagnostic X­ray, and the amount received in a typical treatment procedure is kept within safe limits.Absolutely, like any medicine they are prepared with great care. The risk of a reaction is 2-3 incidents per 100,000 injections of x-ray contrast media.

Q- Is radioactivity harmful?

Ans- Although exposure to the radioactivity in very large doses can be harmful, the radioactivity in radiopharmaceuticals is carefully selected by the nuclear medicine physician to be safe. The doses of radiotracer administered are small and diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures result in minimal radiation exposure. Thus, the radiation risk is very low compared with the potential benefits.