This document discusses radioisotopes and their applications in nuclear medicine. It defines radioisotopes as elements with unstable nuclei that emit radiation during decay. Radioisotopes are used for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in nuclear medicine through applications like PET scans and radiation therapy for cancer treatment. The document outlines historical developments, principles, clinical uses, recent advances, and precautions regarding the use of radioisotopes in medicine.

1. EZEAKU CHIZOWA OKWUCHUKWU
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2.  INTRODUCTION
 DEFINITION OF TERMS
 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
 PRINCIPLES
 CLINICAL APPLICATIONS
 RECENT ADVANCES
 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES
 COMPLICATIONS
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCE
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3.  Radioisotopes are chemical elements that
have an unstable nucleus and emits radiation
during its decay to a stable form.
 Has a varied application in surgery.
 Are very sensitive, because metabolic or
biochemical dysfunction tends to occur
before structural changes in most diseases.
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4.  It is a branch of medicine that uses radiation
to provide information about the functioning
of a person’s specific organs or to treat
disease.
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5.  Radioactivity is the spontaneous emission of
radiation from atomic nuclei.
 It consist of alpha, beta and gamma
radiation.
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10.  Contributions from scientists across different
disciplines.
 George de Hevesy, 1920s , experimented
with radionuclides in rat.
 Discovery of artificially produced
radionuclides by Frederic Joliot-Curie and
Irene Joliot Curie in 1934
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11. 11

12.  John Lawrence, known as the father of
nuclear medicine.
 In 1936, made the first application in
patients of an artificial radionuclide when he
used phosphorus-32 to treat leukemia.
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16. 16

17.  Radiation dose emitted is medically
insignificant.
 Emit gamma rays sufficient enough to escape
from the body.
 Short half life for it to decay away , soon
after its function is completed.
 Should not produce any form of discomfort
to the patient.
 After a short time , there is no trace that the
test was ever done.
 Therapeutically, emit enough beta to destroy
cell.
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18.  Radioactive tracers emit gamma rays from
within the body.
 This radioisotopes are short-lived, permit
specific physiological process to be
scrutinized.
 Photons are detected by gamma camera
which can view organs from different angles.
 These images are enhanced by a computer.
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19.  Sterilization of medical products .
 Drug testing
 Diagnostic
 Therapeutic
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20.  Wide application in different organ systems.
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24. 87-strontium,
18-Fluorine,
Gallium-67,
Indium-111labelled WBC
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28. 28

29. 29

30.  Hepatoimunodiacetic acid scan
 Indications
 Acute cholecystitis, abnormal biliary leakage, biliary
atresia, cystic duct obstruction
 Technetium scan
 Detect lesions > 2cm in 70% of cases
 Gallium scan
 Detects neoplastic foci and abscess
 131 Indium scan
 Detects haemangioma
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33.  Diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid(DTPA)
 Dimercaptosuccinic acid(DMSA)
 Mercaptoacetyltriglycerine scan(MAG 3)
 Vesico-ureteric reflux scan
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37.  Positron emission tomography
 Using fluoro-deoxyglucose incorporating Fluorine-
18.
 Radioimmunoassay
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38.  Interventional nuclear medicine
 Radiopharmaceuticals used in therapy emit
ionizing radiation that travels only a short
distance, minimizing
 Side effects
 Damage to non involved organs or nearby
structures
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41.  Targeted alpha therapy (TAT)
 Also called alpha radioimmunotherapy
 Use of monoclonal antibody with bismuth-213,
lead 212.
 Control of locally advanced cancers
 Neutron Capture Enhanced Particle
Therapy(NCEPT)
 Uses Boron-10, Gadolinium-157
 Dose per procedure usually 20-60Gy
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42.  Women must not be pregnant or
breastfeeding.
 Stop antithyroid drug for one week before
radioiodine therapy.
 Patients who are incontinent should have a
urinary catheter.
 Be on low iodine diet from 7 days prior to
treatment.
 Only have a light meal 2 hours before
treatment.
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44.  Side Effects of Radiation Therapy
 Acute Side Effects
 Cumulative Side Effects
 Late Side Effects
 Radiation Therapy Accidents
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45.  Radioisotopes has a wide application in
surgery, varying from pathological
investigations by radiopharmaceutical
mapping, to therapeutic beta emissions.
 However adequate knowledge and care is
needed to curtail unwanted adverse effects.
 New applications for radioisotopes are
constantly being developed.
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46.  Gary J.R. Radioisotopes in surgical
Investigation and treatment. Surgery(Oxford)
vol 21, Issue 7, 2003 pg 171-174
 William B.S. Etal. Clinical uses of
Radioisotopes. Philadelpia, 2008
 www.slideshare.com/ Radioisotopes in
Surgery
 World Nuclear Association. Radioisotopes in
medicine. http://www.world-
nuclear.org/info/Non-power-Nuclear
Application
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