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Nuclear Medicine

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Nuclear Medicine
Argosy University

Nuclear medicine is a specialized branch of modern medicine that exploits the process of radioactivity for imaging, diagnosis, and treatment. Many imaging techniques inject small amounts of radioactive material into the body, which are then tracked by a sensing device specific to the type of radiation emitted from that material. Radiation has also been used to destroy diseased tissue, typically beyond the reach of standard surgical techniques. Nuclear Medicine is the medical specialty that uses unsealed sources of radiation (liquids and gases) for diagnosis and therapy. These unsealed sources are known as radiopharmaceuticals, drugs that emit radiation.
Depending on the type exam a patient needs, the radiotracer is injected into the body, swallowed or inhaled as a gas. It will then eventually accumulate in the organ or area of the body being examined. Radioactive emissions from the radiotracer are detected by a special camera or imaging device that produces pictures and provides molecular information. Another radioactive treatment that’s used is called radioactive iodine therapy. It offers therapeutic procedures that use small amounts of radioactive material to treat cancer and other medical conditions affecting the thyroid gland.
How to prepare for a nuclear medicine exam varies because each study is different but otherwise, the patient is given a small amount of radioisotope, either orally or by injection, to enhance the visualization of the selected organs or vascular structures. When the radioisotope has accumulated in the region of the body under study, the technologist positions a camera close to the region and begins the scanning process. These images are then viewed on a computer monitor after the examination by a specially trained physician who will communicate the results to your own doctor.
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