The amount of radiation in a nuclear medicine test is comparable to that received during a diagnostic x-ray exam. Only extremely small amounts of tracers are used which lose most of their radioactivity in hours or days and are quickly eliminated from the body.

Nuclear medicine is sometimes called scintigraphy or isotope scanning. It is a technique that uses radiation in an “inside out” way to most other forms of radiology. This is because a small amount of radioactivity is injected into the patient, (radioactivity is where a radioactive atom decays to a stable atom by emitting a radioactive particle. This radioactivity is then detected by a very sensitive gamma camera and images of the body, often in cross-section, are acquired.

Those individuals that have graduated from an 18-24 month accredited Allied Health Sciences program with current registration are eligible to apply for the nuclear medicine program. Another avenue for entry into the program is a minimum of 60 college credits preferably with an emphasis in science and a cumulative GPA of 2.75. Please review the pre-requisite requirements by clicking here.

A nuclear medicine examination relies on specific radioactive isotopes or radiotracers designed to detect specific suspected pathology. Radioactive isotopes emit low dose radiation which can be detected and imaged by a special camera. The isotope is chosen to optimally detect what is clinically suspected. All nuclear medicine studies at Hospital for Special Surgery are performed in the Nuclear Medicine Division of the Department of Radiology and Imaging.

The preparation for each of the nuclear medicine examination differs and is described under the specified examination. For most nuclear medicine studies, there is no special preparation required.

Rarely, localized pain or a bruise may occur at the site of injection. There are no major aftereffects of a nuclear medicine examination.

A Nuclear Medicine scan is used to image a specific organ system in the human body by means of administering a small dose of radioactivity and looking at the physiology or function of the organ system of interest.

The procedures are always carried out within the hospital, usually at the Nuclear Medicine or Medical Physics Department.

Nuclear medicine procedures are very safe. The pharmaceutical (tracer) used, and radiation dose given are carefully selected to ensure the minimum radiation exposure to the patient, while ensuring the accuracy of the test. The amount of radiation in a nuclear medicine test is about the same as you would receive from a diagnostic X-ray. The radiopharmaceuticals administered are not dyes and do not cause reactions the way X-ray contrasts do.

A Nuclear Medicine Technologist performs the nuclear medicine test. They are a specially trained health care professional who has direct experience in the theory and practice of nuclear medicine. The Nuclear Medicine Technologist duties include:

The patient is given intravenously, for some studies orally or by inhalation, a small dosage of a radiotracer specific for an organ under study. The tracer localizes in the organ and emits gamma radiations that are detected by a special camera to form an image of the organ. Imaging of the organ is performed immediately, hours or days after administration of the tracer, depending on the type of study. The duration of imaging itself ranges from 15 to 60 minutes for different studies.

Nuclear medicine tests are very sensitive and can detect some diseases at early stages. Unlike MRI and CT scans that give only structural information, nuclear medicine tests provide information about the functional status and viability of different organs and tissues.