English
Nuclear Medicine Exams in Dhakuria

Nuclear Medicine Exams

Nuclear Medicine Tests in Dhakuria

Nuclear Medicine is a subspecialty within radiology. It employs very small amounts of a radioactive chemical for research purposes, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of illnesses, including cancer.

Nuclear medicine, often known as radionuclide imaging, is a noninvasive and typically painless diagnostic test that aids physicians in the diagnosis of medical disorders. Radiopharmaceuticals, or radiotracers, are the radioactive compounds used in these imaging scans. Nuclear medicine imaging is a multidisciplinary field that encompasses chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer technology, and medicine.

Nuclear medicine involves giving a patient modest amounts of radioactive material and then utilising gamma cameras to determine the position of the material. A patient can receive a variety of radiotracers by injection, inhalation, or ingestion. Indium-111, technetium-99m, gallium-67, and fluorodeoxyglucose are the four most regularly used radiotracers. Manipal Hospitals, Dhakuria, employs advanced technologies and techniques to provide better treatment outcomes.

FAQ's

Nuclear medicine uses modest quantities of radioactive material in conjunction with a carrier molecule. This substance is referred to as a radiotracer or radiopharmaceutical. Doctors employ nuclear medicine tests to diagnose, evaluate, and treat a variety of illnesses. Cancer, heart disease, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and neurological problems are among the possibilities.

A nuclear medicine exam produces very few negative effects. Allergic responses are exceptionally infrequent. Any adverse effects are usually minor, resolve quickly, and require little or no medical attention. Even so, please inform our nuclear medicine personnel of any allergies or other issues you may have encountered during a previous surgery. Radiotracers, unlike dyes, do not generate reactions in the same way that X-ray contrast does. You should not feel any different after receiving radioactive particles.

Nuclear medicine scans can be performed on a variety of organs and tissues within the body. A nuclear medicine scan consists of three phases: giving the tracer (radionuclide), taking images, and interpreting the images. The duration between providing the tracer and taking the photographs can range from a few minutes to several days. The time required depends on the bodily tissue being examined and the tracer being employed. Some scans are completed in minutes. For others, you may return numerous times over a period of days. Each facility may have its own protocols in place.

Yes, nuclear medicine techniques are quite safe. We carefully choose the radiotracer and radiation dose to ensure minimal radiation exposure and maximum accuracy. Nuclear medicine tests expose you to about the same amount of radiation as diagnostic X-rays. Nuclear medicine determines how the body functions at the cellular level. It is capable of identifying sickness in its early stages. Target cells for treatment and monitor their response.

Nuclear medicine imaging helps doctors better comprehend the body's cellular activity. Doctors use nuclear medicine to:

Heart:

  • Examine blood flow and function (such as a myocardial perfusion scan)

  • Identify coronary artery disease and the degree of coronary stenosis

  • Assess cardiac damage after a heart attack 

  • Consider treatment alternatives such as Bypass Heart Surgery and Angioplasty

  • Assess the outcomes of Revascularisation procedures

  • Check for heart transplant rejection

  • Check the heart function before and after treatment (MUGA)

Lungs:

  • Check for respiratory and blood flow abnormalities

  • Assess lung function before surgery 

  • Examine bones for fractures, infections, and arthritis

Others:

  • Assess metastatic bone disease, artificial joints, and bone tumours

  • Search for biopsy sites 

  • Look for inflammation or abnormal functions of the gallbladder

  • Check for bowel bleeding and identify problems after gallbladder surgery

  • Find the infection

Brain:

  • Investigate brain irregularities in patients with seizures, memory loss, and blood flow issues

  • Detect the early start of neurological illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease

  • Assist with surgery and radiation planning

Nuclear medicine techniques can be time-intensive. The radiotracer can take several hours or days to accumulate in the area of interest. Plus, imaging can take many hours to complete.

In general, scans can last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, not considering the time it takes for the tracer to be absorbed. In other circumstances, such as bone scans, absorbing the tracer may take 2 to 3 hours. Some nuclear medicine examinations require imaging over several days.

Nuclear medicine diagnoses and treats diseases using radioactive materials and the radiation generated by the body. Unstable atoms (radionuclides) are usually given orally or intravenously, and less commonly intra-arterially, directly into the CSF gaps, peritoneum, or joint space.

Nuclear medicine and molecular imaging use a signal-producing imaging agent (radiopharmaceutical or probe) that is injected into the body, as well as an imaging instrument capable of detecting and processing the probe's signals to generate detailed images.

In diagnostic nuclear medicine, radioactive tracers are used to visualise and/or assess an organ's overall or regional function. The radioactive tracer (radiopharmaceutical) is administered to the patient via intravenous injection, orally, or through other means, depending on the organ and function being examined.

The time it takes for half of the atoms of one radioisotope to decay into another. Each radioisotope has a specified half-life.

Home Dhakuria Specialities Radiology Nuclear-medicine-exams

Appointment
Health Check
Contact Us
review icon
Review Us
Call Us