Information about PET scans in a nutshell
PET scan relies on radiation to determine activity levels taking place in a body at cellular level. For cardiology and cancer treatment it is normally used. PET CT ammonia scan Bangalore stands to be comparatively cheaper to rest of the country. Colour images are produced via a scan on what is happening inside your body. Not only has it revealed on how an organ looks like, but how it functions. With a PET scan you go on to diagnose certain medical conditions, plan out course of treatment, how an existing condition is developing and treatment is effective or not.
Facts pertaining to PET scans
Below are some basic facts about a PET scan
- PET scans diagnose a medical condition and how it is progressing
- It can be used along with a MRI or CT scan
- The scan is not painful though you are not suggested to eat or drink anything 6 hours before drink plenty of water.
How it is going to work?
Via a PET scan, a machine detects radiation which a radiotracer emits. Radiotracer means a radioactive component that is tagged on to a natural chemical. Example would be glucose. Then on to the body this radiotracer is injected where it makes its way on to the cells which for energy rely on glucose. More energy needs, chances of radiotracer material being build up on that area. This will reflect in the images obtained on a computer. This is connoted in medical terms as cold or hot spots.
On a PET scan active areas are bright referred to as hot spots. If the cells need less amount of energy they are going to be less bright. In comparison to normal cells the cancer cells are in overdrive mode to use glucose. Any radiotracer incorporated from glucose will pop out areas of cancer.
The radiologist will examine images that emerge on a computer, and hand over findings to a doctor. Rather than glucose you can use oxygen.
Uses
PET scan is combined with MRI or CT scan to obtain accurate information about a patient’s health condition. In addition the progress of treatment procedure can also be ascertained. With PET scans you can figure out the following conditions
- Epilepsy- it enables you to understand epilepsy is affecting which area of the brain. A doctor is able to determine which is the most suitable course of treatment and figure out whether surgery is needed.
- Cancer – the stage and presence of cancer is detected, figures out the area which it has spread and then doctors are able to decide course of treatment. With a PET scan it enables you to figure out how chemotherapy is working and a tumour can be detected as compared to the other methods. For heart conditions you can use PET scan to understand which portion of the heart is not working properly.
The different between MRI, CT and a PET scan
In case of a MRI or a CT scan it assesses the shape or size of a tissue or body organ, but they not ascertain how they are functioning. With a PET scan it can showcase on how an organ works but without help of a CT or MRI scan it becomes difficult to figure out exact location of body activity. Combination of a PET scan with MRI or CT scan would give you a picture of the overall health situation of a patient.
Procedure
A PET scan stands to be an outpatient procedure. Before 6 hours of the scan you are forbidden to eat or drink anything. Before 24 hours of the scan avoid caffeine and increase intake of water. Into a vein a doctor would introduce a small amount of radio tracer. You can inhale this tracer, into your organ it can be indirectly injected or take it by mouth. It would depend upon the organ, though 30 to 45 minutes is a standard time frame to reach out to a targeted region of a body.
The patient is asked to not talk and be still. For some patients medications may be given to relax. They need to remove jewellery and asked to wear a gown. Once a patient is ready they would be taken to a special room for scan. On a cushion table they would be asked to lie down. The table slides on to a bigger hole which means that machine surrounds a patient. Listening to music, a patient needs to be as still as possible.
Once scan is done, images are taken and this would depend upon the body organ and should not take more than 30 minutes. Though it is not painful, but if a patient faces any issue inform the staff. A specialist would watch a patient during the procedure and establish communication with them via a two way speaker. The entire procedure would take 2 hours at the most. Once a scan is finished a patient can head home.
Patients are advised to increase their fluid intake once they reach home for the radioactive substance to be flushed off. For the radioactive substance to be completely taken off it would take around 2 hours.
Risks
Any procedure where exposure to radiation takes place carries some risk in spite of cost of PET CT scan ammonia Bangalore being on the lower side. But for people who have the scan the benefits outweigh risks. Since it involves use of a radioactive substance it is not suitable for each and every one. A pregnant woman is forbidden on not to have a PET scan as it causes harm to a developing baby. If you are breastfeeding mother direction for pumping and discard breast milk has to be adopted. Do ask the doctor when it is safe to resume breastfeeding. If you are suspecting to be pregnant or pregnant you need to inform a doctor before the scan itself. Once a scan is done a patient might be asked to stay away from infants, or pregnant woman as a radioactive substance might pose some risks. Chances of an allergic reaction are on a limited scale.