|
|
|
BACK |
|
Nuclear Medicine
Testing
|
Nuclear Medicine is the use of
very small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose and sometimes treat
disease. It is a safe and effective way to detect a wide variety of
conditions, such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis and infections.
|
To prepare for the test you must
talk to your doctor for specific instructions, the majority of testing
does not allow eating, drinking, smoking, consumption of caffeine, or even
chewing gum. It is very important to follow your doctors
instructions. Please contact the nuclear medicine department with
any questions regarding your test at (740) 439-8023, or the radiology
nursing staff for any question regarding your medications at (740)
439-8085.
When you arrive at the medical center
go to the Outpatient Registration desk (located on the ground floor), to
register for your test. You should arrive approximately 30 minutes
prior to your appointment time.
After being registered a registered nuclear medicine technologist will
come to the waiting area and escort you to the testing area, no visitors
are permitted in the testing area. The technologist will ask you
several questions concerning your history. First, you will have the
radioactive material given in one of several  different ways: injection or
IV, capsules, liquid, food, or breathing in the medicine. The
material then travels to specific organs and tissues where it allows the
imaging to take place. Special equipment is then used to produce the
images, which will be read by the radiologist and a report will be
forwarded to your physician.
When you are finished with your
exam and released to go home, be sure to drink plenty of fluids. The
isotopes lose their radioactivity very quickly and pass out of the body
within 24 hours, the increased water intake will help to speed this
process along. If you are pregnant or nursing please notify your
doctor before completing this type of test. |
|
