Nuclear medicine technologist

This study evaluated nuclear medicine occupational radiation doses at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, a 700-bed tertiary care teaching hospital in Oman. Personal effective whole-body doses, Hp(10), and extremity doses, Hp(0.07), were collected for 19 medical radiation workers over a 7-year period (2015-2021). Personal doses for four professional groups were measured using calibrated thermo-luminescence dosemeters ((LiF:Mg,Ti) TLD-100). The average, median and maximum cumulative doses were compared against the annual whole-body and extremity dose limits (20 mSv and 500 mSv y-1, respectively) and local dose investigation level (DIL; 6 mSv y-1)...

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) is an international scientific and professional organization founded in 1954 to promote the science, technology, and practical application of nuclear medicine. The European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) is a professional non-profit medical association that facilitates communication worldwide between individuals pursuing clinical and research excellence in nuclear medicine. The EANM was founded in 1985. The merged International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) is an international, nonprofit, scientific association whose purpose is to promote communication, research, development, and applications in the field of magnetic resonance in medicine and biology and other related topics and to develop and provide channels and facilities for continuing education in the field...

This study aimed to assess occupational radiation doses for radiologic technologists (RTs) in Saudi Arabia shortly before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering changes in imaging volume during that time. This retrospective study included the imaging volume data and the RTs' occupational dose records from a central hospital for 2019 and 2020. The occupational dose-in terms of annual and quarterly mean effective doses (AMEDs and QMEDs)-was estimated for 115 RTs using thermoluminescent dosimeter records...

AIM: The endeavor was to measure the lens dose of actively working staff in nuclear medicine departments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was accomplished in three nuclear medicine sites. A total of 23 workers in nuclear medicine joined this work. Among them are 6 SPECT/ CT technologists, 6 PET/CT technologists, 3 PET/MRI technologists, 5 radiopharmacists, 2 physicists, and 1 physician. EXTDOSE Hp(3) OSL dosimeter with tissue equivalent beryllium-oxide crystal was used for lens dose measurement...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in clinical practice for musculoskeletal imaging tasks, such as disease diagnosis and image reconstruction. AI applications in musculoskeletal imaging have focused primarily on radiography, CT, and MRI. Although musculoskeletal ultrasound stands to benefit from AI in similar ways, such applications have been relatively underdeveloped. In comparison with other modalities, ultrasound has unique advantages and disadvantages that must be considered in AI algorithm development and clinical translation...

INTRODUCTION: Two universities run a collaborative Medical Radiation Science program where students undertake study in Tasmania before transferring to a partner university in another state to complete their program. This study assessed rates and predictors of graduate radiographers, radiation therapists and nuclear medicine technologists (collectively classified as medical radiation practitioners according to AHPRA [https://www.medicalradiationpracticeboard.gov.au/About.aspx; ahpra.gov...

Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of the technologist-driven injection technique of lymphoscintigraphy used at a rural hospital in Australia to identify the correct lymph node for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in early-stage breast cancer patients. Methods: A retrospective audit was conducted using imaging and medical record data from 145 eligible patients who underwent preoperative lymphoscintigraphy for SLNB at a single center throughout 2013 and 2014. The lymphoscintigraphy technique included a single periareolar injection with subsequent dynamic and static images as required...

INTRODUCTION: Academic integrity among radiographers and nuclear medicine technologists/scientists in both higher education and scientific writing has been challenged by advances in artificial intelligence (AI). The recent release of ChatGPT, a chatbot powered by GPT-3.5 capable of producing accurate and human-like responses to questions in real-time, has redefined the boundaries of academic and scientific writing. These boundaries require objective evaluation. METHOD: ChatGPT was tested against six subjects across the first three years of the medical radiation science undergraduate course for both exams (n = 6) and written assignment tasks (n = 3)...

Cardiac amyloidosis was thought to be rare, undiagnosable, and incurable. However, recently it has been discovered to be common, diagnosable, and treatable. This knowledge has led to a resurgence in nuclear imaging with 99m Tc-pyrophosphate-a scan once believed to be extinct-to identify cardiac amyloidosis, particularly in patients with heart failure but preserved ejection fraction. The renewed interest in 99m Tc-pyrophosphate imaging has compelled technologists and physicians to reacquaint themselves with the procedure...

OBJECTIVE: It has been shown that stress in the workplace can contribute to the development or worsening of mental health conditions, as well as having a negative impact on personal relationships and life outside of work. Therefore, prolonged job stress can be damaging to an individual's mental health and wellbeing, potentially leading to burnout. There is limited research surrounding the wellbeing of nuclear medicine technologists practicing globally, and more specifically in Australia...

The recent pyrophosphate shortages can limit the availability of 99m Tc-pyrophosphate scans for cardiac amyloidosis. However, another radiotracer is available: 99m Tc-hydroxymethylene diphosphonate (HMDP). 99m Tc-HMDP, widely available in the United States for bone scanning, has effectively been used in Europe to diagnose transthyretin amyloidosis. 99m Tc-HMDP and 99m Tc-pyrophosphate have comparable blood clearance and sensitivity. The imaging protocols for 99m Tc-HMDP and 99m Tc-pyrophosphate are similar, except 99m Tc-HMDP is imaged 2-3 h after injection and whole-body imaging is optional...

The recommendation for the duration of breastfeeding interruption after radiopharmaceutical administration has not been standardized and varies among the guidance documents and publications in the literature. Methods: A working group consisting of 3 staff physicians, 2 fellows, and 2 technologists was designated to update the institutional recommendations on breastfeeding interruption based on the review of the guidance documents and the literature. Results: Our institutional recommendations on the duration of breastfeeding interruption for 54 radiopharmaceuticals are presented in 4 summary tables...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

AIM: We performed a systematic survey to assess the existing gaps in Europe in multidisciplinary education for integration of radioligand therapy (RLT) into cancer care and to obtain detailed information on the current limitations and key contents relevant. METHODS: A high-quality questionnaire, with emphasis on survey scales, formulation, and validity of the different items, was designed. An expert validation process was undertaken. The survey was circulated among medical specialties involved in cancer treatment, universities, and nursing organizations...

OBJECTIVE: The value of ventilation-perfusion (VQ) single photon emission tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) lobar quantification for pre-operative assessment of lobectomy and lung volume reduction is known. Our in-house developed software, RAH ventilation perfusion SPECT/CT quantification (RAHVQSQ) has been shown to be able to identify the target lobe for collapse in bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) for advanced emphysema. We have proven inter and intra observer reproducibility but are yet to validate the accuracy of our program...

OBJECTIVES: Health workers exposed to ionizing radiation account for  + 50% of workers exposed to man-made radiation in France. Over the last decade, the use of radiation in medicine has increased due to the introduction of new practices. The EXposition des Professionnels de santE aux RayonnemenTs ioniSants study aims to evaluate and characterize the trends in radiation exposure of health workers in France between 2009 and 2019. METHODS: This retrospective study includes all health workers with at least one dosimetric record in the system for occupational dosimetry registration (Système d'information de la surveillance de l'exposition aux rayonnements ionisants) database for each of the years 2009, 2014, and 2019, in the hospitals included in the study...

INTRODUCTION: Misplaced nasogastric (NG) tubes can have deleterious consequences for patients, including death. Medical radiation technologists (MRTs) may be well-positioned to improve the NG tube verification process. The objective of this study was to identify the care delivery problems (CDPs) associated with verifying NG tube placement and to consider where MRTs may mitigate current challenges. METHODS: This study involved three sources of data; a data audit of NG tube chest x-rays (CXRs), a review of related incident reports, and a staff survey, all conducted in the general radiography departments at two large, affiliated teaching hospitals in Toronto, Ontario...

OBJECTIVE: This scoping review concerns expertclinical practice (ECP) by nuclear medicine practitioners (NMP), encompassing radiographers, technologists and nurses. ECP is typically demonstrated by clinical skills with higher levels of autonomy and responsibility traditionally fulfilled by physicians. The Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) framework by Health Education England (2017) specifies ECP as one aspect of advanced role progression. This scoping review aims to identify and categorise the extent and type of the existing NMP ECP evidence to support the establishment of Nuclear Medicine ACP...

Japanese people experienced the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, the Japan Nuclear Fuel Conversion Co. criticality accident, it was found that many human resources are needed to respond to residents' concerns about disaster exposure in the event of a radiation disaster. Medical radiologic technologists learn about radiation from the time of their training, and are engaged in routine radiographic work, examination explanations, medical exposure counseling, and radiation protection of staff. By learning about nuclear disasters and counseling, we believe they can address residents' concerns...

BACKGROUND: Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming a popular educational tool in healthcare. This scoping review aimed to (1) determine if VR can be used to reduce the anxiety a patient experiences during an MRI and (2) explore how VR is being used to train MRI technologists. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHEL, and PsycINFO internet websites of VR in MRI were evaluated. Two authors independently reviewed the titles and abstracts using the inclusion and exclusion criteria...