...image organs, bones, and other parts of the body by using substances called radionuclides. Radionuclides (also called tracers) are a chemical that emit a type of radioactivity called gamma rays. Nuclear scans help doctors diagnose many cancers, injuries, and infections. They can also show how organs like your heart and lungs are working. They are different from a X-ray and MRI because nuclear scans generate pictures based on the body’s chemistry rather than on physical shapes and forms. A radionuclide scan can be done for many reasons. Some of which include bone, kidney, lung, heart, and thyroid scans. A bone scan is one of the more common types, which is used to find areas of bone where there is damage, infection, or even cancer. They can be seen as ‘hot...
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...Nuclear Medicine Radioactive tracers is the form of radiation they use within the human body when doing procedures such as CAT, MIBG, MRI, PET, and Gallium scans. Patients who undergo radioactive procedures are first given a small amount of radioisotope one of two ways oral or by injection. This radioisotope is pertinent to the procedure because it enhances the visualization on vascular structures and organs. The preparation is varies upon ordering physician however are relatively similar in protocol. For vascular patients it is recommended that the patient not have any caffeinated beverages 12 hours prior to the procedure and nothing to eat at least 4 hours before a procedure. Nuclear Vascular stress tests take approximately 3 hours to complete. All patients should wear comfortable lose fitting clothing and tennis shoes for comfort ability due to the nature of the testing which is done on a treadmill. The treadmill however, does not always provide enough information pertaining to the heart and hearts circulation. Nuclear stress tests then become the next phase which includes putting an IV into the arm and injecting a dose of radioisotope. The radiologist will then have you wait approximately 30 minutes and then take you down for pictures of your heart. After this is done the patient will begin walking on the treadmill and right before the procedure is over the radiologist will inject the patient again with radioisotope and then eat. After about a half...
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...Discuss the general procedural considerations for radiographic examinations including: a) patient preparation for examination Many radiologic exams require specific patient preparation prior to the exam in order to ensure that the study is performed in the safest and most accurate manner possible. For example: ❖ MRI- With contrast: No solid foods 4 hours before your study. Clear fluids are allowed up to 2 hours before study. Without contrast: No foods or fluids up to 2 hours before study. Any use of medical or electronic devices should be informed before study. ❖ CT scan- Fluids and food may be restricted for several hours prior to the examination ❖ Mammogram- Do not use any powders, deodorant, perfume or lotions before the study. ❖ Ultrasound- Do not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum after midnight the night before morning appointment, or for at least 6 hours prior to afternoon appointment. b) Informed consent and who is responsible for obtaining the informed consent Informed consent is a legal protection of a patient's authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention. It is the responsibility of the attending licensed healthcare professionals- physicians and nurses- to obtain and witness the patient’s signature. The informed consent includes: • The patient’s diagnosis • The patient’s prognosis • The proposed treatment • The risks and benefits associated with the proposed treatment • Any alternative...
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...I believe that nuclear medicine harms life. The way nuclear medicine works by the patient receiving a radioactive material to take, and then, the doctors are able to study the organ system or look into deeper body parts for a short time through the energy form of gamma rays. Even though this method allows the doctors to examine the patient more closely than normal a normal X-Ray, there are more risk in dealing with nuclear items. 1) When using nuclear medicine, the patience will receive a certain amount of ionizing radiation depending on the type of nuclear medicine. Putting radiation in context, a thyroid scan gives a dose of 0.14 mSv, lung scan is 2 mSv, bone scan is 4.2 mSv, a CT scan is 8 mSv, and the worst is Cancer treatment, which gives...
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...Advantages 1) Nuclear power generation does emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). The emissions of green house gases and therefore the contribution of nuclear power plants to global warming is therefore relatively little. Between mining the uranium, refining and enriching fuel, and finally to building and operating the plant, a big 1,250 250-megawatt nuclear facility produces an estimated 250,000 tons of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. In contrast, coal-fired plants produce close to 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year in the U.S. alone while also emitting lots of other pollution: soot that causes lung diseases; sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that cause smog and acid rain; and mercury that contaminates fish. In fact, coal kills 4000 times as many people as nuclear power, according to one analysis. 2) It is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant. 3) This technology is readily available. Disadvantages 1) Uranium Waste- The chief danger lies with the mining waste; it contains radium, which is highly radioactive. Radon gas (one of the products that occur after radium undergoes radioactive decay) can expose workers and nearby and nearby communities to an array of health risks like lung cancer, bone cancer and lymphoma. 2) The energy source for nuclear energy is Uranium, which is a scarce resource. It’s supply is estimated to last only for the next 30 to 60 years depending on the actual...
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...glave@uth.tmc.edu Abstract During my 20 years of imaging in the radiology field, I have been questioned by patients about the dangers of radiation exposure daily. I often state that unlike other medical trials we are unable to intentionally test the long term effects of these procedures. To take a group of people and irradiate them, follow them throughout their lives. That type of study would be never-ending and difficult to follow. Our history lessons teach about the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in 1945 and the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explosion in Ukraine. However those events do not expose human beings to the same ionizing radiation that is used in the medical x-rays of today. I would like to put these risks into perspective. That the benefit of the information we receive from a test far outweighs the risk to the patient. My ultimate goal is to arm the patient with enough information to make a diagnostic testing decision without fear or generalizations. Radiation Exposure During the average human’s lifetime they will have the need for a radiation imaging study to diagnose or confirm a diagnosis. When this occurs, the patient and the ordering provider will evaluate if the risk outweighs the benefit of the information received. I would like to show that the amount of...
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...number of protons but has a different number of neutrons. A radioisotope is an isotope that’s nuclei is unstable and therefore emits particles or rays of radiation. An example of a radioisotope is Technetium-99m. Technetium-99m emits gamma radiation. Gamma radiation is the highest frequency electromagnetic radiation that nuclei can emit, but don’t be scared just yet, because only such a small amount of radiation will be used at any one time, obviously just enough for the diagnostic procedure to work but not enough to seriously harm the patient in one dosage! So how is it used in medicine? Well, the Technetium-99m is firstly injected into the body. It then temporarily settles in certain organs or bones such as the heart, brain, thyroid, lungs, liver, kidney, spleen, gall bladder and bone marrow. The location and amount of the radiation is telling of where the problem lies. This is easily detected through a gamma camera for a short time then is eliminated from the body....
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...INTRODUCTION I. SYLLABUS & COURSE POLICIES II. BODY ORGANIZATION A. Chemical Level: atoms and molecules B. Cellular Level: Cell: basic structural and functional unit of life C. Tissue Level: Tissue: similar cells that perform a common function D. Organ Level: Organ: 2 or more kinds of tissues integrated to perform specific functions E. Organ System Level: Organ system: organs having related functions F. Organismal Level: Organism: has several organ systems which work together to maintain life III. PLANES OF REFERENCE & DESCRIPTIVE TERMINOLOGY A. Anatomical Position: upright, feet parallel, eyes & palms forward B. Planes of Reference: Imaginary lines or actual dissecting cuts (sections) which may be used to "section" the body or an organ. 1. Sagittal: divides the body or organ into unequal right and left portions. a. Midsagittal: divides the body or organ into equal HALVES 2. Coronal (= Frontal) Plane: divides the body or organ into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions 3. Transverse (= Horizontal, Cross-sectional) Plane: Divides the body or organ into superior (top) and inferior (bottom) C. Directional Terms for the Body: Terms are in table 1.2 on p. 12, (and fig 1.7 on p. 13) - LEARN THEM!! Ex: Medial: closer to midline Lateral: away from the midline IV. BODY REGIONS A. Cephalic Region or Head 1. Facial Region a. Orbital – eye ...
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...about DNA that was found in the leg bone of a 400,000 year-old fossil. This is a huge development since scientists have not been able to find DNA in fossils older than 60,000 years (Rincon, 2013). The bone described in this article was found in Spain in an area referred to as the ‘Pit of Bones’(Rincon, 2013). This is a cave where the remains of 28 people were found. The ‘Pit of Bones’ is located near Burgos in Northern Spain (Rincon, 2013). The bones were found to be of ancient people who lived in the Middle Pleistocene Age. For scientists, accessing these bones was not an easy task as the cave is hidden and is only accessible through ropes and tunnels. One of the most important renowned characteristics of DNA is that it breaks down as time passes. It is therefore fairly difficult to access DNA as old as 400,000 years (Rincon, 2013). However, as reported in this article, technology has helped scientists to make such discoveries as the one described herein. The scientists who made this discovery were also able to come up with a sequence of mitochondrial DNA from the femur, although it was incomplete. This sequence showed a relationship with 40,000 year-old fossils found in Siberia (Rincon, 2013). The cause of this relationship is said to be interbreeding across ancient populations from different regions. The scientists also related the DNA acquired to the Homo antecessor, an ancient human species. The next step from this discovery is to find nuclear DNA that is more helpful in understanding...
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...EFFECTS ON BONES HEALTH Pearl Pullman NDFS 200 – Fall 2013 October 08, 2013 ABSTRACT Recently, the effects of high protein diets on bone structure have been controversial, with evidence suggesting negative and positive affects on bone. The objective of this paper is to discover how a high intake of dietary protein affects bones. In one study, subjects consumed a high protein and high dairy (HPHD) diet, an adequate protein and medium dairy (APMD), or an adequate protein and low dairy diet (APLD). The researchers collected blood and urine samples from the subjects. Subjects consuming HPHD diets showed adequate bone health after 16-weeks of monitored exercise evidence. In another study, researchers measured the plasma concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 plays an important role in proper skeletal growth and development. Subjects consuming 42 g protein compared to the group consuming 70 g carbohydrate had an increase in plasma IGF-1 (P = 0.01). In another study, researchers measured calcium absorption by collecting blood and urine samples to assess the effects of the diet on biomarkers of bone metabolism. In this 15-week study, researchers discovered that a diet with high protein increased the absorption of dietary calcium and IGF-I by >20% compared to the low protein diet. In another study, participants were given either a 30g whey protein drink or a placebo of 2.1g protein drink over a 2-year period. DXA scans of hip areal bone mineral density...
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...in large quantities and look and perform differently than normal cells(MedicineNet-leukemia, 1997).Right now the causes of Leukemia are unknown. Some studies have shown that exposure to high-energy radiation increases chances of contracting leukemia. Such radiation was produced in the atomic bombing of Japan during World War II. There is also enough energy in nuclear plants so strict safety precautions are taken. Some research shows that exposure to electric magnetic fields, such as power lines and electric appliances, is a possible risk factor. More studies are needed to prove this link. Some genetic conditions, such as Down"s syndrome, are also believed to increase the risk factor. Exposure to some chemicals is also suspected to be a risk factor. By learning the causes of leukemia treatment options will become available(MedicineNet-leukemia, 1997). There are many symptoms of leukemia. The symptoms of leukemia are the same for all the different types of leukemia. The acute types of leukemia, ALL and AML, symptoms are seen more quickly than in the chronic types of leukemia, CLL and CML, where symptoms do not necessarily appear right away. The symptoms are flu symptom, weakness, fatigue, constant infections, easily bleed and bruise, loss of weight and appetite, swollen lymph nodes, liver or spleen, paleness, bone or joint pain, excess sweating, swollen or bleeding gums, nosebleeds and other hemorrhages, and red spots called petechiae...
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...Radioactive elements are unstable and emit radiation in the form of alfa, beta and gamma rays. The radiations can be used in nuclear medicine imaging, treatment, drug testing and sterilization in hospitals. Nuclear medicine imaging provides information about function and structure, using safe, not invasive, and cost-effective techniques for diagnosis and therapy. A number of radioactive substances have been used for the different purposes depending on their suitability. One of the most informative imaging techniques available in medical diagnostics is positron emission tomography (PET). A positron-emitting radionuclide is introduced, usually by injection, and accumulates in the target tissue. As it decays it emits a positron, which promptly combines with a nearby electron resulting in the simultaneous emission of two identifiable gamma rays in opposite directions. These are detected by a PET camera and give very precise indications of their origin. It is a very powerful and significant tool which provides unique information on a wide variety of diseases from dementia to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Organ malfunction can be indicated if the isotope is either partially taken up in the organ (cold spot), or taken up in excess (hot spot). If a series of images is taken over a period of...
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...Introduction Human embryonic stem cells (hES cells) are currently discussed not only by the biologists by whom they were discovered but also by the medical profession, media, ethicists, governments and politicians. There are several reasons for this. On the one hand, these ‘super cells’ have a major clinical potential in tissue repair, with their proponents believing that they represent the future relief or cure of a wide range of common disabilities; replacement of defective cells in a patient by transplantation of hES cell‐derived equivalents would restore normal function. On the other hand, the use of hES cells is highly controversial because they are derived from human pre‐implantation embryos. To date, most embryos used for the establishment of hES cell lines have been spare embryos from IVF, but the creation of embryos specifically for deriving hES cells is also under discussion. The most controversial variant of this is the transfer of a somatic cell‐nucleus from a patient to an enucleated oocyte (unfertilized egg) in order to produce hES cells genetically identical to that patient for ‘autologous’ transplantation (so‐called ‘therapeutic’ cloning); this may prevent tissue rejection. The question ‘Can these cells be isolated and used and, if so, under what conditions and restrictions’ is presently high on the political and ethical agenda, with policies and legislation being formulated in many countries to regulate their derivation. The UK has been the first to pass...
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...ineffective pumping of the heart (Bethesda, 2001). Harvard Women's Health Watch published an article titled, Repairing the Heart With Stem Cells, which discusses the issue of heart disease and the possibility of a solution in stem cell replacement (Repairing the Heart with Stem Cells, 2013). This article explains what happens during a heart attack and why people who have had a heart attack may face a lifetime of maintenance to help the heart continue to work efficiently and to prevent further damage to the heart. The article makes use of experimental field studies to illustrate the regenerative capabilities of stem cells, showing that as much as 50% of heart scar tissue improved in seventeen patients. According to the article, not all doctors have the same positive results. The reason for the varying results seems to be due to different approaches in procedures used to acquire the stem cells and then to apply them. Stem cells from bone marrow come from adults. Another approach to the acquisition of stem cells is by extracting stem cells from the patient and then reinserting them where needed. The article goes on to explain that because cell therapy is relatively new there are still many questions unanswered and the long term effects of stem cell transplant, although safe, is inconclusive. The article concludes by explaining that at the moment stem cell therapy is only available to candidates who desire to participate in a research trial experiment. The evidence that adult and embryonic...
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...Blood Lab First Week This is a self propelled powerpoint study atlas of blood cells encountered in examination of the peripheral blood smear. It is a requirement of this course that you begin review of these slides with the first day of class in order to familiarize yourself with terms used in describing peripheral blood morphology. Laboratory final exam questions are derived directly from these slides. The content of these slides may duplicate slides (1-37) listed on the Hematopathology Website. You must familiarize yourself with both sets of slides in order to have the best learning opportunity. Before Beginning This Slide Review • Please read the Laboratory information PDF under Laboratory Resources file to learn about – Preparation of a blood smear – How to select an area of the blood smear for review of morphology and how to perform a white blood cell differential – Platelet estimation – RBC morphology descriptors • • • • Anisocytosis Poikilocytosis Hypochromia Polychromatophilia Normal blood smear. Red blood cells display normal orange pink cytoplasm with central pallor 1/3-1/2 the diameter of the red cell. There is mild variation in size (anisocytosis) but no real variation in shape (poikilocytosis). To the left is a lymphocyte. To the right is a typical neutrophil with the usual 3 segmentations of Med. Utah pathology the nucleus. Normal blood: thin area Ref 2 Normal peripheral blood smear. This field is good for exam of cell morphology, although...
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