Nuclear Medicine

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Nuclear Medicine involves the use of radioactive isotopes to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. Information gathered during nuclear medicine procedures is more comprehensive than other imaging  techniques because it describes organ function, not just structure. This results in many diseases and cancers being diagnosed much earlier.

Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radioactive materials, called radiopharmaceuticals, to create images of organs, tissue, and bone. Your physician may prescribe these tests to see how a part of your body is working. Nuclear Medicine is unique because it shows how the organs and tissues are working, and is commonly used for heart, kidney, thyroid, bone, liver, and the gastrointestinal system.

A nuclear medicine procedure is sometimes described as an "inside-out" x-ray because it records radiation emitting from the patient's body rather than radiation that is directed through the patient's body. Nuclear medicine procedures use small amounts of radioactive materials, called radiopharmaceuticals, to create images of anatomy.

Nuclear medicine images can assist the physician in diagnosing diseases. Tumors, infection and other disorders can be detected by evaluating organ function. Northwest Medical Center - Springdale has an INFINIA Nuclear Medicine camera with a dual detector.

Specifically, nuclear medicine can be used to:

• Analyze kidney function
• Image blood flow and function of the heart
• Scan lungs for respiratory and blood-flow problems
• Identify blockage of the gallbladder
• Evaluate bones for fracture, infection, arthritis or tumor
• Determine the presence or spread of cancer
• Identify bleeding into the bowel
• Locate the presence of infection
• Measure thyroid function to detect an overactive or underactive thyroid