Nuclear Medicine/Cardiac Stress Testing
Nuclear Medicine imaging uses radioactive “tracers” to diagnose a variety of diseases including cancer and heart disease. The state-of-the-art expansive nuclear medicine unit at St. John’s is managed by board-certified technologists, nurses and physicians.
Imaging exams that incorporate nuclear medicine include, and are not limited to:
- Cardiac stress testing
- SPECT (single-photon emission computerized tomography) imaging to show blood flow to organs and tissues
- Bone scans
- Perfusion scans to evaluate the flow of fluids, including the blood flow to the heart
- Thyroid scans
- Renal (kidney) scans
- MUGA (multigated acquisition) scans
- Hepatobiliary scans of the liver, gallbladder and ducts
Nuclear medicine can also be used as treatment – for example, radioactive iodine therapy for cancer and thyroid conditions.
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital is accredited by the American College of Radiology for nuclear cardiology and SPECT imaging. Accreditation is the gold standard for hospitals committed to high-quality medical imaging.