Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear Medicine (NM) is an exam which uses small amounts of a radioactive material which will be injected intravenously into the body and is absorbed by the organs and cells of the tissue being imaged. This radioactive material, or radiotracers, will be able to help identify cancers or other diseases in their early stages. Some of these diseases are heart disease, gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, endocrine disorders, and neurological disorders.

Nuclear medicine exams may have a short or long waiting period after being injected with the radioactive material.  The wait times can vary from minutes to a few hours. You may also be given specific instructions prior to the exam, which is important to follow, if these instructions are not followed, it may potentially delay your exam.