Nuclear Medicine in Grantsburg

Nuclear medicine imaging is a radiology specialty in which radioactive tracers, also known as radiopharmaceuticals, are utilized for the examination of organs and their functions. The practice uses a combination of chemistry, math, medicine, physics and computer technology to analyze internal structures, treat and diagnose medical conditions in their early stages. Unlike x-ray imaging which is primarily used for examining anatomy, nuclear medicine is used by our Grantsburg diagnosticians to monitor organs and tissue function.

Nuclear medicine scans are used for examining many different areas of the body. Each type of scan is different in that they all make use of certain technologies, procedures, and radiopharmaceuticals. It is most often used by our technicians in Grantsburg for bone, brain, heart, thyroid, and renal scans to monitor and diagnose various medical conditions.

Each scan will look different, depending on the patient's needs and individual health concerns. By utilizing radioactive tracers, the skilled diagnostic imaging staff in Grantsburg at Burnett Medical Center can track and locate problems within the body. The entire process is made up of three phases; Administration of the tracer, taking the images, and interpretation of the imaging. The time between tracer administration and taking photos may last a few moments or up to a few days. For some patients, your scan can be completed the same day, for others, you may be asked to return over the course of multiple days.

Your scan will be conducted in a quiet, private room during your scheduled appointment at BMC. You may be asked to remove any jewelry, accessories or clothing that may interfere with the procedure. A medical gown will be provided for you to change into. Lying on a flat procedure table, your BMC nuclear medicine technologist in Grantsburg will inject an IV of the radionuclide into your hand or arm, and attach you to an electrocardiogram machine and a blood pressure cuff. When it’s time to image, a gamma camera will be positioned over you to obtain images as blood pumps the tracer through the body. Your technologist may ask you to change positions during the scan, but it is important to lie completely still without talking for the best imaging.

Preparing for nuclear medicine depends on the scan being performed. When scheduling your nuclear medicine scan, a local Grantsburg technologist will go over the necessary preparation.