Medical procedures >>>> What is radioisotope diagnostics?
What is radioisotope diagnostics?
Radioisotope diagnostics is a technique for obtaining images of tissues and organs at the molecular level, when it is possible to observe metabolic processes, assess hemodynamics, identify pathologies of neural connections and explore many other processes that are inaccessible to conventional magnetic resonance and computed tomography. In radioisotope diagnostics, positron emitters are used - pharmaceuticals labeled with isotopes (radiopharmaceuticals), which gave the name to the method "positron emission tomography" ( PET- scan).
Radioisotope diagnostics is carried out through the introduction of radiopharmaceuticals orally or into the bloodstream, followed by an assessment of the speed of movement of these substances along the bloodstream, their passage through organs, their accumulation and excretion by the body. To control the redistribution and movement of isotopically labeled substances (radiopharmaceuticals), special scanners are used to capture the external radiation of the administered drugs. Thus, it is possible to very accurately determine the dysfunctions of various areas of the body that are difficult to study, identify tumors, clarify their location, assess the damage done to the tissues of the nervous system, investigate hormonal activity and much more.
Radioisotope diagnostics provides irreplaceable assistance in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, disorders of the central nervous system, disorders of the digestive processes, as well as the processes of utilization and elimination of substances from the body.
Substances labeled with isotopes do not pose a threat to the body, since their radioactive capabilities are scanty; moreover, short-lived radioactive isotopes (with a short decay period of the radioactive substance) are used in research.
Pregnancy is a contraindication to radioisotope diagnostics.
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