Nuclear medicine studies make images (pictures) of the inside of the body to find and treat certain illnesses, and to check to see how some treatments are working.

During a nuclear medicine study, a patient gets a very small amount of radioactive material through an IV (into a vein), in a gas that they breathe in, or by mouth. Then, special pictures show how their body takes up the radioactive material. This lets nuclear medicine doctors or radiologists get information about how the body is working.

Sometimes health care providers give children medicine (sedation) to help them stay calm and still while the pictures are taken.

The radioactive material becomes less and less radioactive over a short period of time and passes painlessly out of the patient's body through their pee and poop.

• Encourage your child to drink plenty of liquids for the first few days after the study to help flush out any radioactive material.
• If your child had sedation, they may be tired on the day of the study. Let them rest as needed.
• Your child can eat their usual diet and go back to their regular activities.

Your child:

• gets redness, swelling, or tenderness where they got the IV
• had sedation and feels sick to the stomach or vomits

Your child has signs of an allergic reaction to the radioactive material, such as:

• an itchy rash or hives
• trouble breathing or swallowing
• vomiting more than once

Can the radioactive material used in nuclear medicine studies cause cancer? While large amounts of radiation have been shown to cause cancer, the amount used in nuclear medicine studies is very small and not likely to cause cancer. Getting many studies that use radiation can increase someone's risk for cancer, so health care providers only do them when absolutely needed.

Why are nuclear medicine studies done? Nuclear medicine studies can get information about (and sometimes treat) kidney, bone, thyroid, blood, and brain problems; cancer; and many other health problems.