nuclear medicine scans may be performed on many organs and
tissues of the body. Each type of scan employs certain technology,
radiopharmaceuticals, and procedures.
A nuclear medicine scan consists of three phases: tracer
(radiopharmaceutical) administration, taking images, and image
interpretation. The amount of time between administration of the
tracer and the taking of the images may range from a few moments to
a few days, depending on the body tissue being examined and the
tracer being used. The time required to obtain the images may also
vary from minutes to hours.
for example '' and this one sadly not performed in sudan for so many
resons no need to talk about it now'':
is a heart scan. Myocardial perfusion scans and radionuclide
angiography scans are the two primary heart scans. In order to give
an example of how nuclear medicine scans are done, the process for a
heart scan is presented below.

i think that the great thing about nuclear medicine that
Although each hospital may have specific protocols in place,
-which is the thing that can give space for creation of new
protocols - but generally a heart scan may follow this process:
1. The patient will be asked to undress from the waist up and
put on a gown.
2. The patient is connected to an EKG monitor that records the
electrical activity of the heart and monitors the heart during the
procedure using small, adhesive, electrode patches.
3. The patient will lie on a table in the procedure room.
4. An intravenous (IV) line is started in the hand or arm.
5. During the procedure, the patient will need to lie as still
as possible, as any movement can adversely affect the quality of the
scan. The gamma camera (a device to scan patients who have been
injected with small amounts of radioactive materials) will be
positioned over the patient as he/she lies on the table.
6. A radioactive tracer will be injected into the IV to "tag"
the blood cells so their progress through the patient's heart can be
traced with a scanner.
7. The gamma camera obtains images of the heart by measuring
the amount of the radioactive substance that has been absorbed by
the heart tissue as the patient continues to lie on the table.
8. The patient may be asked to change positions during the
test; however, once the patient has changed position, he/she will
need to lie very still.
9. If the physician wishes to evaluate the heart's function
under stress, the patient may exercise on a treadmill or a bicycle
for a period of time. Additional images will be obtained after the
exercise period.
10. Once all the heart images have been obtained, the IV will be
removed, and the patient will be allowed to leave, unless the
physician instructs differently