1 Impact of Covid-19 on Canadian International Students Student Name University Course Name Professor Date 2 Nuclear Medicine Nuclear medicine utilizes radiation to treat diseases or provide information about an individual’s specific organs’ functioning. Physicians, in most cases, use the information to diagnose a patient’s illness quickly. Nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures essentially use radioisotopes (Edwards et al., 2017). Doctors can examine the unique cycles happening in different body parts by combining radioisotopes with imaging devices that register internal gamma ray’s emission. Nuclear medicine reveals disorders in the functioning of the liver, heart, bones, thyroid, and many other organs through imaging. Radiation can also treat tumours or diseased organs in a few cases. More than 10000 hospitals globally use radioisotopes in medicine for diagnosis procedures (Bourla & Herrmann, 2021). Technetium-99 (Tc-99) is the most widely recognized radioisotope utilized in diagnosis. Technetium-99 (Tc-99) represents about 85% of diagnostic scans and 80% of nuclear medication techniques universally. Preparation for nuclear medicine procedures varies because of different studies. Generally, patients are encouraged to consult with their physicians for specific preparation depending on the diagnosis information. For example, HIDA scan procedures require patients not to eat or drink six hours before the procedure. The patient is given a small radioisotope amount, either by injection or orally, before starting a nuclear medicine procedure (Edwards et al., 2017). The small amount of radioisotope is for enhancing the vascular structures or selected organs’ visualization. The technician waits for the radioisotope to accumulate in the body region under examination. The technician then positions a camera near the body part and starts the analysis. An expert radiologist checks the images on a computer monitor after assessment and then conveys the results to the patient’s doctor. 3 Nuclear medicine uses advanced machines to produce x-rays that scan, detect and treat different medical conditions efficiently. The first advantage of nuclear medicine involves technically and digitally enhanced treatment options for various medical diseases, such as cancer, through chemotherapy and radiation. Secondly, nuclear medicine offers early detection of highly severe medical conditions (Mantel, 2018). Thirdly, nuclear medicine procedures are accurate in terms of disease diagnosis. Despite the documented accuracy and benefits of nuclear medicine, the techniques may be ineffective because they do not guarantee a 100% cure. Also, nuclear medicine requires high operating costs. Nuclear medicine is expensive in terms of high equipment cost, purchase, set up, operations and maintenance expenses (Edwards et al., 2017). Nuclear medicine may also subject patients to health risks after prolonged exposure to harmful radiation. Nuclear medicine has various applications, including PET (positron emission tomography) scans, CT (computed tomography), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Mantel, 2018). PET uses small radioactive materials (radiopharmaceuticals or radiotracers), a computer, and a special cameral to evaluate tissue and organ functions. Positron emission tomography may detect early disease onset by identifying changes at the cellular level. CT imaging utilizes unique x-ray machines to deliver numerous pictures of the internal body organs. A radiologist views and interprets CT images on a computer, thus providing the best anatomic information. MRI uses a powerful magnet linked to a computer and radio waves to create detailed internal body regions’ pictures. The MRI images can show the difference between diseased and normal tissue. PET, CT, and MRI scans can detect and diagnose cancer, assess treatment effectiveness and evaluate prognosis (Bourla & Herrmann, 2021). The scans can also 4 determine tissue viability and metabolism and determine heart attack myocardial infarction’s effects. 5 References Bourla, A. B., & Herrmann, K. (2021). Real-World Data as an Evidence Source in Nuclear Medicine. Edwards, O., Hoffman, J., & Morton, K. (2017). An analysis of national trends in common nuclear medicine procedures: 2006 through 2015. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 58(supplement 1), 447-447. Mantel, E. (2018). Nuclear Medicine Technology. Springer International Publishing.
