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Due to high sensitivity, nuclear medicine is feasible for early stage disorders, for timely interventions;

Practitioners should be well acquainted of radiation risk and dosimetry, for better patient outcomes.

 

The significance of pediatric nuclear medicine is well constituted; pediatric patients are directed to nuclear medicine from all related specialties, inclusive of orthopedics, oncology, urology, cardiology, to name a few.

Pediatric nuclear medicine aids with fundamental and significant information required for to diagnose, stage, treat and follow-through a range of disorders, inclusive of endocrine, renal, cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems. (Courtesy: The Journal of Nuclear Medicine)

Due to high sensitivity, nuclear medicine is feasible for early stage disorders, for timely interventions; the non-invasive approach makes it significant for assessment of children, and is far effective than other diagnostic imaging approaches.

It provides valuable information that may not be easy through other diagnostic approaches, some of which may be more invasive or result in higher radiation exposures.

Small amounts of radiopharmaceuticals are administered to the patient; these radiopharmaceuticals give off subsequent radiations: positrons, x-rays, γ-rays, β-particles etc.

There has been a remarkable increase in medical imaging, across the U.S.; following procedures were being found common with patients: CT, plain radiograph, fluoroscopy/angiography, nuclear medicine etc.

Number of CT scans rose 4-times in past few decades; in the U.S., from 1984-2006 it showed 3-fold increase in nuclear medicine procedures, and about 1% of these are done on children.

Risk associated with radiation exposure is high in younger patients, as increased hazard due to medical imaging is a prime concern; medical practitioners of pediatric nuclear medicine should be well acquainted of radiation risk and dosimetry, for better patient outcomes.