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Introduction
We have given you this factsheet because you have an appointment for a nuclear medicine study.
Please make sure you read this information and follow the instructions carefully before your procedure. If you have any further questions, please speak to a member of your healthcare team who will be able to advise you.
What is nuclear medicine?
Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty that involves giving a patient a small amount of radioactive medication, called a radiopharmaceutical. This makes the body slightly radioactive for a short time.
A special nuclear medicine camera detects the radiation, which is emitted from the body, and creates images or pictures for the radiologist (doctor specializing in imaging) to interpret. The radioactive medication is most commonly injected into the blood stream through a vein, but might be given in other ways, including:
- Swallowed
- Inhaled (breathed in)
- Injected directly into the tissue beneath the skin
A radiopharmaceutical is a medication used in nuclear medicine that has a radioactive part and a pharmaceutical part:
The radioactive part is an unstable element (radioisotope) that gives off energy as it decays (disintegrates or breaks down) and changes to a different element or energy state. The body does not feel the ionizing radiation, and it does not make you ‘warmer’ or ‘glow in the dark’. The dose of ionising radiation received during a nuclear medicine test is determined by the type and amount of radiopharmaceutical injected, the half-life of the radioisotope and how quickly this is eliminated from
the body in urine, stools or breath. The half-life is the time taken for half of the radioactive atoms to decay or change their energy state and for most radioisotopes used in nuclear medicine, this half-life is measured in hours, so after a day or so there is very little radioactivity remaining.
The pharmaceutical part can be a few atoms or a complex molecule that helps take the radioactive part to the area of the body being studied.
In many cases, there will be a delay between the time you are given the radiopharmaceutical, and the time the images are actually taken. This gives the radiopharmaceutical time to flow through the body and concentrate in the organ that is being examined.
Preparation for the Examination
Please do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your examination.
If you are taking any anti sickness or pain medication, please stop taking this 48 hours before your appointment such as:
- Metoclopramide (anti-sickness)
- tricyclic (antidepressants or anticholinesterases)
If you are, or may be, pregnant or are breast-feeding, please give us this information prior to the examination. The radioactivity can reach the baby and it is important that any precautions are discussed with your Specialist.
Please where possible avoid bringing friends or relatives (especially children) along to your scan unless necessary. Due to the nature of a nuclear medicine study, we would like to minimise the extent of radiation exposure to other individuals as far as reasonably possible.
On Arrival
The department is located on the ground floor of Frimley Park Hospital. You should follow the directions from the main entrance.
You should check in at the reception desk. Bring this letter with you and be prepared to confirm your details with the receptionist. Please allow time to do this prior to your appointment time and bear in mind that the reception may be busy. Once you have been booked in you will be directed to the waiting area. Please be aware that patients are attending for different examinations and patients who arrive after you may be called before you. The department can be very busy, so please come alone or only bring one relative or friend with you.
All patients aged 12-55 (regardless of gender) who will undergo a Radiology procedure will be asked about the possibility of them being pregnant.
The Examination
Your procedure will be performed by a technician who is specially trained in Nuclear Medicine. You will be asked to eat some porridge containing a small amount of radio-activity.
During the scan, you will lie on a bed. The gamma camera will come quite close to your body. The gamma rays are emitted from your body and the gamma camera and computer acquire and process the information and build up a picture. The scan will take approximately 1 hour. You will be asked for one further short scan (approx. 5 minutes) after a gap of about 10 minutes, during which time we would like you to go for a short walk, if possible.
After the Examination
You must drink plenty of fluid for the rest of the day. This is to help wash the radio-activity out of your body through the urine. The rest will disappear naturally. You will be free to resume your daily activities, but please avoid close, prolonged contact (more than 30 minutes within 1 metre) with pregnant people, babies and small children for 12hrs after your scan started.
Travel Advice
It is perfectly safe for you to travel abroad after your scan, but many airports and sea ports are now equipped with very sensitive radiation detectors so it is possible that the very small amount of radioactivity left in your body could set off a detector as you pass through security. Therefore, if you intend to travel abroad within a week following your scan, it could be important to take with you something to explain that you have recently had a nuclear medicine scan. This could be your appointment letter or other official confirmation from the department where you had your scan.
The Results
The Radiologist will interpret your study and report the results to your referring doctor, who will in turn discuss them with you. Normally this takes about 14 days.
If you have been referred from an Outpatient clinic you will receive your results at your next clinic attendance.
Risks of Procedure
There are some risks involved with Nuclear medicine studies as ionising radiation is used. Everyone receives ionising radiation every day from radioactivity in the air, food we eat and the sun. Your age, size and the type of scan will influence the amount of medical radiation used and the theoretical risks from the radiation. The benefit of the scan is making the correct diagnosis or treatment plan and a radiology specialist has agreed that this benefit outweighs the risks of radiation exposure.
The radiographers are trained to obtain the best possible imaging using the lowest amount of radiation possible, the equipment is regularly checked to ensure it is safe and effective and the amount of radioactivity you receive in this study is strictly controlled to be within the recommended national levels set in the United Kingdom.
Contact us
If you have any queries relating to this information, please contact the Radiology service.
About this information
Service:
Radiology
Reference:
PILS-NM.4
Approval date:
21 October 2024
Review date:
21 October 2027
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Important note
This page provides general information only. It is developed by clinical staff and is reviewed regularly every 3 years for accuracy. For personal advice about your health, or if you have any concerns, please speak to your doctor.