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A bone scan, also known as bone scintigraphy, is a type of nuclear medicine imaging of the bone. It can aid in the diagnosis of a variety of bone disorders, including bone cancer or metastases, the site of bone inflammation and fractures, and bone infection.
A bone scan is performed by injecting a small amount of radioactive material into a vein. The chemical enters their bloodstream and travels to their bones and organs. It emits some radiation as it wears off. This radiation is detected by a camera that scans their body slowly.
While the bone scan itself is painless, having to lie still for the duration of the procedure may cause discomfort or pain, especially if you have recently been injured or had an invasive procedure such as surgery.
There are protocols that have as little as one or as many as four imaging phases: flow phase, blood pool phase, delayed phase, and fourth phase. The fourth phase, obtained 24 hours after radiotracer injection, is not often performed but can be beneficial in patients with peripheral vascular disease and osteomyelitis concerns. To detect bone trauma when standard X-rays fail to display it.
To discover difficult-to-find fractures. To determine the age of fractures. To detect and/or evaluate bone infections (osteomyelitis).To assess unexplained bone discomfort.
Bone densitometry, commonly known as dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, DEXA or DXA, measures bone loss by using a very small amount of ionising radiation to obtain images of the inside of the body (typically the lower (or lumbar) spine and hips).
A bone scan is a diagnostic that can help doctors diagnose bone issues. It is an effective method for detecting cancer that has originated in or progressed to the bone. It can also assist their doctor in determining how well their treatment for bone cancer is working.
When it comes to cancer screening, physicians often favour an MRI over a bone scan. Because MRIs can reveal abnormal appearance or physical abscesses in bones, they are more effective than traditional bone scans in detecting bone cancer.
In order to do a bone scan, a very little amount of radioactive material (radiotracer) is injected into a vein. The chemical enters their bloodstream and travels to their bones and organs. It emits some radiation as it wears off. This radiation is detected by a camera that scans their body slowly.
The Global Bone Scan Market accounted for $XX Billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach $XX Billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of XX% from 2024 to 2030.
New Routine for Nuclear Medicine Technologists to Determine When to Add SPECT/CT to a Whole-Body Bone Scan.Bone scintigraphy is often performed as a whole-body scan, yielding two images: an anterior and a posterior view.
On whole-body bone scans, aberrant results in the spine can be difficult to discern. SPECT/CT imaging can be used to appropriately localise and interpret a lesion, as well as to distinguish between benign and metastatic lesions. A physician will usually determine whether SPECT/CT is required.
The goal is to evaluate a novel practice for nuclear medicine technologists in order to determine when SPECT/CT should be added to whole-body bone scintigraphy. The nuclear medicine techs were given access to a three-part educational programme.
The first step involved learning the conditions under which a whole-body bone scan should include SPECT/CT. The second step was going over a number of training whole-body bone scans that served as examples of the criteria.
Passing a test to determine if SPECT/CT should be included in whole-body bone scans was required for the third component. The physicians and nuclear medicine technologists concurred that SPECT/CT was necessary in 63 cases and was not necessary in 27 cases.
The final value was 0.77 and the percentage agreement was 90%. Ten cases involved disagreements. Only the nuclear medicine technologists wanted to add SPECT/CT in 6 of these cases, and only the doctors wanted to add SPECT/CT in 4 of these situations.
Nuclear medicine technologists were able to determine whether a SPECT/CT study was required after taking the training course created as part of this project. This conclusion has the implication that, following the implementation of our novel procedure, the efficiency of the nuclear medicine division should be increased.
The project’s success may encourage other departments to undertake similar quality-improvement initiatives in the future.There was a high degree of agreement amongst nuclear medicine technologists and physicians regarding the need for SPECT/CT in addition to whole-body bone scans.
The nuclear medicine technologists were able to make this determination after taking part in the training programme created for this project. This conclusion has the implication that, following the implementation of our novel procedure, the efficiency of the nuclear medicine division should be increased.
The project’s success may encourage other departments to undertake similar quality-improvement initiatives in the future.
