How does nuclear medicine imaging work?
Radiopharmaceuticals are most often given through a vein (intravenously) using a small needle. Depending on the exam, they might also be administered orally, mixed in food or drink, administered via a small catheter placed into the bladder or stomach, or by inhalation. For studies of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, the radiopharmaceutical is taken with food; for studies of the lungs, it is inhaled through a breathing mask. In some nuclear medicine examinations, images are obtained immediately after the radiopharmaceutical is administered. In other imaging studies, a waiting period is necessary to allow the radiopharmaceutical time to reach the desired organ or lesion. Imaging time may take from two minutes to two hours, depending on the type of study. In some cases, it is necessary to take images at different time intervals. At Children’s Hospital, we have two types of equipment that can “see” radiopharmaceuticals: gamma cameras, which can create two- and three-dimensional ima
