Gallium scans are used in nuclear medicine for diagnosing abscesses, peritonitis and lung tumors. The patient is injected with 6-10 mCi of Gallium and the scan is usually obtained forty-eight hours after the injection. One can scan as early as twenty-four hours if the patient is susceptible to lesions in the lower abdomen area. Gallium scans are usually completed on a total body scanner. The areas of interest are the head, neck, chest and abdomen.
All nuclear medicine scans follow basically the same pattern. The patient is injected with the radioactive isotope. There is a time factor as to when the scan will begin. All types of views are taken of an organ at many different positions. The gamma camera is used for detection of all images.
It would be advantageous to use copies of scans in the classroom exercise. Copies of scans may be readily obtained through the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.
The following pages contain diagrams and the functions of the imaging devices in nuclear medicine.