Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear Medicine is a medical specialty that uses safe, painless, and cost-effective techniques both to image the body and treat disease. Nuclear Medicine imaging is unique in that it documents organ function and structure, in contrast to diagnostic radiology, which is based upon anatomy.

Nuclear Medicine studies can be used to diagnose and treat disease through the use of very small amounts of radioactive materials or radiopharmaceuticals. Each radiopharmaceutical is attracted to specific organs, bones, or tissues and emit gamma rays that are detected by special cameras. These cameras work with a computer system to produce an image and provide data about the area of the body being imaged. The amount of radiation received from a Nuclear Medicine test is very similar to the amount received by a diagnostic x-ray. With nearly 100 different possible procedures, every major organ of the body can be imaged.

The Nuclear Medicine Department is open from 6:30 am until 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. On-call personnel are available for emergencies. We are located on the ground floor of the hospital.

The schedule an exam, please call our dedicated Radiology
Scheduling Representative at 205-592-1489 - Option #1.