Radioactive tracer
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Radioactive tracer
Radioactive tracers are used in imaging tests that help find problems inside the body. These tracers give off particles that can be detected and turned into a picture to help find problems in organs or other structures.
The tracer is usually given through an intravenous (IV) line placed in a vein. The tracer then travels through the body and may collect in a certain organ or area.
The types of tests that use radioactive tracers include positron emission tomography (PET) and nuclear medicine scans to look at specific organs such as the liver, lungs, kidneys, and gallbladder.
Credits
| Author | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Myo Min Han, MD - Nuclear Medicine |
| Last Updated | October 24, 2008 |
| Last updated: | October 24, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Myo Min Han, MD - Nuclear Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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