Pediatric nuclear medicine is a subspecialty of radiology
that is used to create images of body anatomy and function in children.
It helps to evaluate different organ systems in order to diagnose many
disorders such as urinary blockage, infections and trauma in the bones,
gastrointestinal bleeding, and a variety of tumors.
Your child will receive an intravenous injection, something you may
wish to warn him/her about beforehand. Your child’s doctor may
also require a fasting period or an increase in water intake before the
exam. You should discuss the specific details about the preparation necessary
with your child’s physician.
During the examination, your child will lie on a scanning table, and
a special camera records images of the body by detecting the radiotracer
that was injected into the child before the exam. The entire process
usually takes from 20 to 40 minutes. Afterward, the nuclear medicine
physician will interpret the images and will send the report to the physician
who recommended the test for your child. Your pediatrician will then
contact you with the results.
St. John's Mercy Nuclear Medicine
314-251-6463
