Nuclear Radiologist
Specialists:
A nuclear radiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in using radioactive materials to test and treat patients. This technology allows them to examine muscle tissue, organs, and blood, and to treat problems in those areas. Nuclear radiologists play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of many medical conditions.
Nuclear radiology uses substances called radiopharmaceuticals. The radiation in them can treat certain types of illnesses or illuminate a part of the body during a scan with a special camera. The nuclear radiologist analyzes the resulting images of where and how the substances were absorbed in the body to diagnose a medical condition.
Why do you need to see them?
In most cases, your regular physician will refer you to a nuclear radiologist. Nuclear radiologists often work together with other physicians as part of a treatment plan. For example, nuclear radiologists often team up with oncologists to treat and monitor cancer.
Your doctor may refer you to a nuclear radiologist because they need more information before they can treat or diagnose you. Perhaps they know what might be going on, but they need a more detailed or comprehensive scan before they make any decisions.
Some of the most common tests nuclear radiologists perform are:
- Breast scans
- Brain scans
- Thyroid and parathyroid scans
- Tumor scans
- Lung scans
- Gastrointestinal scans
- Renal scans
- Bone scans
- Heart scans
- Blood scans for blood diseases
What do they do?
Nuclear radiologists usually work in hospitals, research centres, universities, or clinics. Their primary responsibility is to conduct tests, but they are also qualified to give treatment if needed.
On a day-to-day basis, nuclear radiologists will administer radiopharmaceuticals, do body scans to see how those substances interact with the body, view test results, and discuss their findings with patients and doctors. Because they are qualified to both administer tests and give treatments, nuclear radiologists play an essential role in helping patients receive the care they need.
Depending on what the findings are, a nuclear radiologist’s involvement in a patient’s care may stop there. The patient’s doctor will use the results of the tests to come up with a treatment plan. If based on the testing, a patient requires radiopharmaceuticals, the nuclear radiologist will still be a part of the treatment plan.
Physician consultation is a good opportunity and you should be prepared for it.
- Carry all necessary medical records for the discussion. It helps in better understanding your heart condition and avoids repetition of diagnostic tests.
- Make sure you discuss your past medical history, surgical history, family history, and medications that you are taking.
- Discuss about your lifestyle habits, dietary habits and also about your profession. Your lifestyle and nature of job may be associated with the risk for cardiac diseases.