Nuclear Radiation And Medicine

These radiopharmaceuticals continuously give off invisible radiation called gamma rays.

What is nuclear energy in kannada china nuclear tunnels. However it is known that high levels of ionizing radiation can lead to an increased incidence of cancer. Diagnostic nuclear medicine involves the use of radioactive tracers to image andor measure the global or regional function of an organ. It is difficult to assess how much radiation exposure is safe.

Nuclear medicine differs from general radiology in the following respects. To put the radiation exposure from nuclear medicine into context the average annual exposure from breathing radon gas is equivalent to one nuclear medicine lung scan 2 msv. Most diagnostic investigations in nuclear medicine expose the patient to a small dose of radiation similar to that received in an x ray.

In nuclear medicine radioactive materials known as radioisotopes or radiopharmaceuticals are introduced into the body. These include many types of cancers heart disease gastrointestinal endocrine or neurological disorders and other abnormalities. Nuclear medicine scans are generally safe and have been around in some form for about 50 years.

The radiation dose that you get is usually very low and doesnt pose serious health risks. The radioactive tracer radiopharmaceutical is given to the patient by intravenous injection orally or by other routes depending on the organ and the function to be studied. Nuclear medicine imaging uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose evaluate or treat a variety of diseases.

Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of diseasenuclear medicine imaging in a sense is radiology done inside out or endoradiology because it records radiation emitting from within the body rather than radiation that is generated by external sources like x raysin addition nuclear medicine scans differ. What is general nuclear medicine. The uptake turnover andor excretion of the tracer substance is.

Nuclear medicine uses radioactive chemicals called radiopharmaceuticals which are taken into the body either by injection into a vein by mouth or by breathing them in. Radiation particularly associated with nuclear medicine and the use of nuclear energy along with x rays is ionizing radiation which means that the radiation has sufficient energy to interact with matter especially the human body and produce ions ie. It can eject an electron from an atom.

How do doses and risk from nuclear medicine compare to x rays. Are there special precautions i need to take after my diagnostic nuclear medicine.