NUCLEAR MEDICINE LATEST 2026 STUDY GUIDE
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GUARANTEE A+
✔✔Radiopharmaceuticals - ✔✔*Sterile and pyrogen-free
*Must undergo quality control measures
*Two components:
Radionuclide
Pharmaceutical
✔✔Technetium - ✔✔Can be bound to biologically active compounds or drugs to create
a radiopharmaceutical
✔✔Becquerel (Bq) - ✔✔Measure of radioactivity
Corresponds to the decay rate
✔✔Radiation Safety - ✔✔*Radionuclide's are liquid, solid, or gaseous
*Continuously emit radiation after administration
*Designated preparation areas
*Handling and administration of diagnostic doses
*Immediate clean-up required
*Film badges and TLDs worn at all times
*Practice ALARA
✔✔Designated Preparation Areas - ✔✔-Isolated ventilation
-Protective lead or glass
-Absorbent material
-gloves
✔✔Instrumentation - ✔✔Gamma Camera
✔✔Gamma Camera - ✔✔*Scintillate
*Scintillation detector
*Components:
--Collimator
--Crystal and light pipe
--Detector electronics
--computer
✔✔Imaging Methods - ✔✔Static Imaging, Whole Body Imaging, Dynamic Imaging,
SPECT Imaging, SPECT/CT Imaging
✔✔Static Imaging - ✔✔Acquisition of a single image of a particular structure
Examples: Lung scans, Spot bone scan, Thyroid scan
, ✔✔Whole Body Imaging - ✔✔Specifically designed moving detector produces image of
the whole body
Example: Whole body bone scan, Whole body tumor or abscess imaging
✔✔Dynamic Imaging - ✔✔Displays the distribution of radiopharmaceutical over a
specific period
Examples: Gastric emptying and first pass cardiac studies
✔✔SPECT Imaging - ✔✔Creates thin slices of an organ similar to CT and MRI
Examples myocardial perfusion, liver, parathyroid studies
✔✔SPECT/CT Imaging - ✔✔Combines functional imaging of SPECT with anatomical
landmarks of CT
✔✔Clinical Applications - ✔✔Vivo Examinations, Bone Scintigraphy, Nuclear
Cardiology, CNS, Endocrine System, GI System, Genitourinary System, Therapeutic
Nuclear Medicine, In Vitro & In Vivo Hematologic Studies, Imaging for Infection,
Respiratory Imaging, Sentinel Node
✔✔Vivo Examinations - ✔✔vivo "within the living body"
✔✔Bone Scintigraphy - ✔✔Survey to evaluate patients with diffuse musculoskeletal
symptoms, metabolic disorders, or malignancies
✔✔Nuclear Cardiology - ✔✔Noninvasive studies that assess cardiac performance
✔✔Central Nervous System - ✔✔Document extent of involvement of brain by tumors,
and determine progression or regression of lesions
✔✔Endocrine System - ✔✔Includes the thyroid, parathyroid, pituitary, suprarenal
glands, islet cells of the pancreas, and the gonads
✔✔Thyroid scan - ✔✔99mTc pertechnetate or 123I (Iodine-123) can be used.
99mTc offers less radiation to the patient compared to 131I
✔✔131I thyroid uptake measurement - ✔✔Radioiodine is concentrated by the thyroid
gland in a manner that reflects the ability of the gland to handle stable dietary iodine.
✔✔The higher the uptake of 131I, - ✔✔The more active the thyroid
✔✔The lower the uptake of 131I, - ✔✔The less functional the gland
✔✔Gastrointestinal System - ✔✔Liver/spleen scan
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GUARANTEE A+
✔✔Radiopharmaceuticals - ✔✔*Sterile and pyrogen-free
*Must undergo quality control measures
*Two components:
Radionuclide
Pharmaceutical
✔✔Technetium - ✔✔Can be bound to biologically active compounds or drugs to create
a radiopharmaceutical
✔✔Becquerel (Bq) - ✔✔Measure of radioactivity
Corresponds to the decay rate
✔✔Radiation Safety - ✔✔*Radionuclide's are liquid, solid, or gaseous
*Continuously emit radiation after administration
*Designated preparation areas
*Handling and administration of diagnostic doses
*Immediate clean-up required
*Film badges and TLDs worn at all times
*Practice ALARA
✔✔Designated Preparation Areas - ✔✔-Isolated ventilation
-Protective lead or glass
-Absorbent material
-gloves
✔✔Instrumentation - ✔✔Gamma Camera
✔✔Gamma Camera - ✔✔*Scintillate
*Scintillation detector
*Components:
--Collimator
--Crystal and light pipe
--Detector electronics
--computer
✔✔Imaging Methods - ✔✔Static Imaging, Whole Body Imaging, Dynamic Imaging,
SPECT Imaging, SPECT/CT Imaging
✔✔Static Imaging - ✔✔Acquisition of a single image of a particular structure
Examples: Lung scans, Spot bone scan, Thyroid scan
, ✔✔Whole Body Imaging - ✔✔Specifically designed moving detector produces image of
the whole body
Example: Whole body bone scan, Whole body tumor or abscess imaging
✔✔Dynamic Imaging - ✔✔Displays the distribution of radiopharmaceutical over a
specific period
Examples: Gastric emptying and first pass cardiac studies
✔✔SPECT Imaging - ✔✔Creates thin slices of an organ similar to CT and MRI
Examples myocardial perfusion, liver, parathyroid studies
✔✔SPECT/CT Imaging - ✔✔Combines functional imaging of SPECT with anatomical
landmarks of CT
✔✔Clinical Applications - ✔✔Vivo Examinations, Bone Scintigraphy, Nuclear
Cardiology, CNS, Endocrine System, GI System, Genitourinary System, Therapeutic
Nuclear Medicine, In Vitro & In Vivo Hematologic Studies, Imaging for Infection,
Respiratory Imaging, Sentinel Node
✔✔Vivo Examinations - ✔✔vivo "within the living body"
✔✔Bone Scintigraphy - ✔✔Survey to evaluate patients with diffuse musculoskeletal
symptoms, metabolic disorders, or malignancies
✔✔Nuclear Cardiology - ✔✔Noninvasive studies that assess cardiac performance
✔✔Central Nervous System - ✔✔Document extent of involvement of brain by tumors,
and determine progression or regression of lesions
✔✔Endocrine System - ✔✔Includes the thyroid, parathyroid, pituitary, suprarenal
glands, islet cells of the pancreas, and the gonads
✔✔Thyroid scan - ✔✔99mTc pertechnetate or 123I (Iodine-123) can be used.
99mTc offers less radiation to the patient compared to 131I
✔✔131I thyroid uptake measurement - ✔✔Radioiodine is concentrated by the thyroid
gland in a manner that reflects the ability of the gland to handle stable dietary iodine.
✔✔The higher the uptake of 131I, - ✔✔The more active the thyroid
✔✔The lower the uptake of 131I, - ✔✔The less functional the gland
✔✔Gastrointestinal System - ✔✔Liver/spleen scan
