What is nuclear medicine or isotope scanning?
Radioisotopes give out a very small amount of radiation that can be detected by a specially designed sensitive type of camera. When a radioisotope is linked with certain chemicals it can, harmlessly, trace the workings of the human body. These tests allow radiologists to find alterations in the normal functioning of the body organs, for examples the heart of kidneys, or show early involvement of the body with infections or cancer. The dose of radiation given is very small, but following some tests we do advise that contact with children or breastfeeding mothers should be avoided for a short time. This is particularly the case when radioisotopes have been given in higher doses in order to treat some conditions, for example an overactive thyroid gland, or some types of cancer. Suitable advice will always be given by the radiologist before a patient leaves the hospital.
