Dynamic radionuclide studies in pediatric nuclear medicine

The extension of nuclear medicine techniques into the pediatric field has been rather slow but a negative attitude toward the use of radionuclides in children has gradually receded with increased education, increased awareness of its value, and the ready availability of modern equipment and techniques. The increasing volume of work load has dictated that each study be done because of certain conditions or indications and not as a routine part of a workup for whatever cause. As a general rule the clinicians have used nuclear medicine as a consultation service. Examinations, therefore, are not done unless the indications in the way of a history or physical examination are readily known. Special techniques, such as radionuclide angiography, can be easily performed in infants or children. Sedation is useful when one plans to quantitate data from areas of interest which require patients to remain motionless for periods up to 30 minutes. When one is only interested in the image characteristics of a study, the rapidity of the technique requires little or no sedation. (U.S.)