Radiopharmaceutical-related pitfalls and artifacts

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiopharmacy
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Radiopharmaceuticals are crucial in nuclear medicine for diagnosis and therapy.
• Commonly used radiopharmaceuticals can present challenges in preparation and administration.
• Understanding these challenges is vital for accurate diagnostic imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review and elucidate problems associated with radiopharmaceuticals in clinical practice.
• To categorize and explain pitfalls and artifacts in radiopharmaceutical preparation and administration.
• To provide insights into causative factors and preventive measures for radiopharmaceutical-related issues.

Main Methods:

• Literature-based review of radiopharmaceutical preparation and administration problems.
• Categorization of issues into formulation-associated (radionuclide, component, procedure factors) and administration-associated (technique, nontechnical errors) pitfalls.
• Presentation of clinical manifestations and causative factors with preventive actions.

Main Results:

• Identified common pitfalls in radiopharmaceutical preparation, including technetium-99m ([99mTc])-labeled and non-[99mTc]-labeled agents.
• Detailed errors in radiopharmaceutical administration techniques and nontechnical aspects.
• Provided examples of clinical manifestations and discussed the impact of various causative factors.

Conclusions:

• Recognizing and addressing radiopharmaceutical preparation and administration pitfalls is essential for optimizing nuclear medicine procedures.
• While many issues have identifiable causes and preventive strategies, some problems remain challenging to diagnose and manage.
• Further research may be needed to fully understand and mitigate all radiopharmaceutical-related challenges.