Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine was introduced over fifty years ago and today is relied upon to diagnose and treat several conditions. Twenty years ago, Riverside Medical Clinic recognized a need for specialized equipment to assist physicians in diagnosing and treating certain conditions that other diagnostic procedures were not able to detect, and established our Nuclear Medicine department.

In general, radiological images are created based on the anatomy, whereas nuclear medicine documents function on the structure of a patients' organ. With this safe, painless and cost-effective technology, diseases that would not be evident with other diagnostic testing can be found early and treated.

One procedure performed by Nuclear Medicine is radioiodine treatment. Radioiodine is used to help diagnose patients with either a hyper or hypo thyroid problem. Special medication is given to the patients about 6 hours before the procedure is started. The medication is very safe with no known side effects. Data is then collected in a specialized camera and computer and read by the Nuclear Medicine physician. Another test provided is bone imaging. Bone scans are used to test for arthritis, osteoporosis, fractures, or tumors.

Patients are encouraged to ask their physician questions relating to the nuclear medicine procedure performed. Your physician will answer any question you may have. Patients wanting additional information can also visit The Patient Information Library located by Urgent Care in our Main Clinic. Patients may also visit The Society of Nuclear Medicine at www.snm.org for more information about Nuclear Medicine.