ICU-USA

Nuclear Medicine

The Nuclear Medicine department performs a variety of imaging procedures. In this setting a small amount of weakly radioactive material is used as a type of contrast material to image the body part of interest. A radiation detection camera, called a gamma camera, is used to capture the image.

One type of lung scan, called a ventilation-perfusion scan, is performed in this fashion. In this case, one type of contrast material is injected into the vein and a different type of contrast material is given by inhalation. Much can be learned with this test about the flow of both blood and air to the lung. This test is commonly used to look for blood clots in the lung.

Nuclear medicine tests are usually tolerated very well with minimal discomfort to patients.

Nuclear medicine ventilation lung scan

Nuclear medicine perfusion lung scan