Chapter 20: Diagnostic investigations
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Evidence‐based approaches
Rationale
The important properties that make the radiopharmaceutical useful for diagnostic purposes include:
- the physical half‐life
- decay characteristics
- ease of incorporation into radiopharmaceuticals
- availability of radionuclide.
A desirable radionuclide should have a half‐life just long enough to allow for preparation, administration and concentration in the region of interest, but short enough for radiation to effectively disappear after the test (Cherry et al. [27]). Imaging studies commonly performed in a nuclear medicine department include:
- assessment of structures and/or function of organs
- sites of infection
- presence of tumours.
Common non‐imaging studies include investigations into red cell mass and plasma volume, and gastrointestinal tract and renal function (DH [36]).
