FAQ

A nuclear medicine department uses radioactive substances to conduct examinations and provide treatments through radioactivity. It follows strict safety protocols to ensure that both hospital staff and patients are not exposed to radiation.

Radiopharmaceuticals are drugs that contain, among other ingredients, radioactive forms of chemical elements called radioisotopes. Depending on the type of radiation those radioisotopes produce, they can be used to diagnose or treat several medical conditions. Their applications range from imaging of many different organs, such as the brain, heart, kidney, and bone, to treating cancer and hyperthyroidism.

Radiopharmaceuticals are administered to patients parenterally or orally and can be monitored and analyzed with external medical devices and tests. Specialized safety protocols are applied in most countries to protect patients and health professionals from any side effects of these drugs.

In addition to containing radioactive atoms, radiopharmaceuticals contain molecules that are designed to travel inside the body of the patient until they reach their target tissue or organ. For instance, certain radiopharmaceuticals are “sugar-like”; their radioactive atoms are part of a substance that is very similar to sugar, a glucose analogue. Since tumors consume more glucose than other parts of the body, the sugar-similar drug travels inside the body of the patient and gets absorbed to a high degree by the tumor cells that will “consume the sugar” and thereby make the tumor visible.

Medical imaging refers to several different technologies that are used to view the human body in order to diagnose, monitor, or treat medical conditions. Each type of technology gives different information about the area of the body being studied or treated, related to possible disease, injury, or the effectiveness of medical treatment.

It is divided into two major types: those that have an excellent resolution and provide precise anatomical details e.g., computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) and those that generate a representation of the function of organs or tissues being analyzed, also known as Molecular Imaging such as Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET).

Before the analysis, specific instructions may be needed to ensure accurate results. This may include fasting for several hours, usually overnight. It is necessary to come to the Laboratory fasting when your prescription includes one or more of the following blood tests: Blood sugar, insulin, peptide, and gestational diabetes screening. OGTT (Oral glucose tolerance testing). Lipid Abnormality Assessment: Cholesterol, Triglycerides, HDL, LDL.

The most common fasting times are 8, 10, or 12 hours before the blood test.