Nuclear Imaging and Radioactive Drugs
Nuclear medicine is a radiology subspecialty using trace amounts of radioactive material to diagnose and treat many diseases. Nuclear imaging does not require surgery. Instead it relies on radioactive drugs or radiotracers.
The radiotracer can be injected, swallowed or inhaled as a gas, depending on your test. It gives off gamma rays, which are detected by a PET scanner, a special camera or a probe. Using a computer, your health care team will measure the amount of the radiotracer absorbed by the body to produce images offering details of your body to help in your diagnosis and treatment.
At Little Company of Mary, Nuclear Medicine is used to:
- Analyze the functions of organisms such as kidney, gallbladder and lungs
- Check bones for fractures, tumors, etc.
- Visualize blood flow
- Monitor presence or spread of cancer
- Locate infection in the body
Hours are M-F 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
