Re: Nuclear Medicine Dosages & RisksVery Enlightening...
Thanks.
DSH
"Andrew Kerr" <apkerr@yahoo,com > wrote in message
news:deGNj.51861$612.831@read1.cgocable,net ...
> D. Spencer Hines wrote:
>>
>> Yes, I understand that. How did I write it incorrectly? Thallous
>> Chloride
>> is not used in Nuclear Medicine?
>
> There was a time that thallium-201 was the only tracer used for cardiac
> studies. Now most institutions use one of the Tc-99m agents, either
> Cardiolite or Myoview.
>
> > So, the Tc-99m gives better resolution because the higher energy
> photons
>> from the 140 kEv peak pass through the tissue without being absorbed or
>> scattered?
>
> Yes. However, it's not really an issue with a small patient.
>
> >> In our institution, we do everyone over 180lbs as a 2-day protocol,
>>> everyone under 150lbs as a thallium, and those in-between using the
>>> 1-day
>>> sestamibi protocol. When doing a 1-day protocol, the rest dose is small
>>> (10 mCi) so we don't want to do a large person with that small of a
>>> dose.
>>> The physicians that run my department are very particular about the
>>> quality of the work we do, so getting the best images possible is
>>> important.
>>
>> Good for them and you guys too. This is in Canada?
>
> I am in Canada, yes. My department is fairly unique I think, in that we
> actually choose a different protocol depending on patient size. Many
> places don't use thallium at all any more. Thallium studies generally take
> longer (we image for a longer time due to the reduced dose) and are less
> flexible schedule-wise, meaning that we can't do as many people as we can
> with Tc-99m.
>
> Andrew