Dose Optimization
In nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, small amounts of radioactive agents are administered to the patient to allow the physician to examine molecular processes within the body. These procedures are highly effective, safe and painless diagnostic tools that present physicians with a detailed view of what’s going on inside an individual’s body at the cellular level. For more than 60 years, these studies have been used to evaluate practically all systems within the body, including the heart and brain, as well as to image many types of cancer.
Radiation dose for all nuclear medicine and molecular imaging procedures should be optimized so that the patient receives the smallest possible amount of radiopharmaceutical that will provide the appropriate diagnostic information. However, if an appropriate procedure—one that can provide the physician with clinical information essential to the patient’s treatment—is not performed when necessary due to fear of radiation, it can be detrimental to the patient. The right test with the right dose should be given to the right patient at the right time. When nuclear medicine and molecular imaging procedures are performed correctly on appropriate patients, the benefits of the procedure very far outweigh the potential risks.
SNMMI has a large body of knowledge in dose optimization that is continually growing and developing. Listed below are SNMMI journal articles, educational offerings, and other resources as well as media-related information and links to useful websites.
SNM Position Statement on Dose Optimization for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Procedures
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Publications (Journals, Newsletters, etc.)
Other SNMMI/SNMMI-TS Resources
Press and Media
Useful Links
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Education (Online and Meetings)
2012 Annual Meeting Sessions
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Dose Reduction in Pediatric Nuclear Medicine
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Radiation Protection in Nuclear Medicine
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Radiation Safety and Quality Control: "Imaging Effectively Through Uncertainty"
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Managing Theoretical Radiation Exposure Risk in Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging
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Radiation Dose Reduction in New SPECT/CT Systems
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Optimal dose reduction with high-speed myocardial perfusion imaging: Simulation study.
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Total radiation dose reduction in multiple session dynamic brain PET study using single CT scan.
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The effect of Tc99m Sestamibi dose reduction on image quality and patient radiation exposure.
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Dose reduction in newborns and infants undergoing hepatobiliary scintigraphy.
2011 Annual Meeting Sessions
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Clinical Dose Calculation
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Dose Reduction in Pediatric Nuclear Medicine
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Radiation Exposure and Its Management in Cardiac Imaging
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Reducing Patient Exposure While Improving Diagnostic Testing
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Radiation Safety and Radiopharmacy, Parts I and II
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Radiation Safety and Radiopharmacy - Part I (SNMMI-TS)
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Radiation Protection and Dosimetry in PET and PET/CT
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Risk Assessment and Predictive Value of Coronary Artery Disease Testing
The following online lectures can be ordered at www.snmmi.org/onlinelectures
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Basic Radiation Protection in Nuclear Medicine (physician)
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Cellular Responses to Radiation
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MIRD CME: Bystander and Low-Dose Rate Effects – Are These Relevant to Radionuclide Therapy (physician)
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Radiation Risks in Clinical Research: Putting It in Perspective (physician)
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Radiation Characterization and Quantities (physician)
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Radiation Measurement Systems (physician)
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Whole Body Effects of Ionizing Radiation (physician)
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The Importance of Following the Protocol in Clinical Trials (technologist)
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MR Safety and Clinical Procedures (technologist)
Order an Online Lecture
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