正电子发射断层扫描（PET/CT）

正电子发射断层扫描（PET）是一种高度敏感的技术，它使用放射性物质来显示体内的化学和功能变化。

• PET / CT扫描measures body functions such as blood flow, oxygen use, and sugar metabolism to help doctors evaluate how well your child's organs and tissues are functioning.
• 从PET/CT扫描获得的图像可帮助医生诊断出问题，选择最佳治疗方法和/或查看治疗方法的工作状况。
• PET扫描的生理摄取与低剂量CT的解剖信息相结合，以提供高质量的诊断研究，不仅显示了吸收的存在，而且还表明其精确的位置。

The radiopharmaceutical used is designed to go to the part of the body that is being tested.

• A common type of radiopharmaceutical, fluorine-18 FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose), acts almost exactly like sugar.
• The body uses sugar for fuel, so the radioactive sugar goes to the parts of the body that are very active, such as the brain, the heart, and the muscles.
• The PET/CT scanner can "read" any chemical changes within those areas.

PET/CT扫描可能是早期诊断癌症以及大脑和心脏疾病的关键。他们的执行方式：

• assess the effectiveness of a treatment plan
• detect cancer or determine whether a cancer has spread in the body or returned after treatment
• 评估脑异常，例如肿瘤，记忆障碍和癫痫发作
• evaluate central nervous system disorders
• map normal human brain and heart function

当您任命孩子时，您将获得具体的说明。遵循所有准备说明或扫描将重新安排的所有准备指示非常重要。一般来说：

• Your child should not have any candy, sugar, or gum for four hours prior to the appointment.
• Your child should not ingest any form of caffeine (including soda, tea, and chocolate) for 12 hours prior to the scan. She should also, of course, not have any nicotine or alcohol.
• Your child should avoid any exercise and strenuous physical activity for 24 hours prior to the appointment.
• 扫描前四个小时，您的孩子不应有任何固体食物或液体。
• Your child is allowed to drink plain water, but not flavored water.
• You may give your child his or her normal medications on the morning of the scan.

In addition:

• 关于为什么需要宠物/CT扫描，并向他保证，您会一直与他或她一起保证，这很有帮助。
• You may want to bring your child's favorite book, toy, or comforting object to use during waiting times.
• 我们有各种DVD可供选择，让您的孩子在手术过程中观看，或者您可以从家里带一个。
• If your child's doctor has given you a requisition for the exam, please bring it with you. If we have to call the doctor's office to get the requisition after you have arrived for the appointment, this will cause a delay in performing the scan.
• 如果您的孩子计划进行镇静，或者您认为需要镇静（静止不动），并且核医学工作人员尚未与您联系，请致电617-355-7010与我们联系以获取特定说明。

When you arrive, please go to the Nuclear Medicine check-in desk on the second floor of the main hospital. A clinical intake coordinator will check in your child and verify his or her registration information.

Obtaining a PET/CT scan involves three steps: injection of the radiopharmaceutical, an uptake period, and scanning by the PET/CT camera.

注射放射性药物：

• 我们的一位核医学技术人员将向您致意，他们将向您和您的孩子详细解释扫描。
• Your child's sugar level will be checked.
• A tiny amount of the radiopharmaceutical will be injected into one of your child's veins through a small intravenous catheter (IV).
• Once the radiopharmaceutical reaches its destination, it will transmit signals (gamma rays) that can be detected from outside the body by the PET/CT scanner.

The uptake period:

• 注射后，您的孩子必须等60分钟。
• During this time, while the radiopharmaceutical is circulating within the body, the room is kept warm and the lights are dimmed to aid in the uptake of the tracer. It is important for your child to be very quiet — no talking, moving, or playing with electronic devices. These activities can alter the radiopharmaceutical distribution in the body and affect the image.
• 在这个吸收期间，患者通常会看电影或休息。

宠物/CT扫描：

• After the waiting period, the technologist will ask your child to empty his bladder.
• 您和您的孩子将被带到PET/CT套房。欢迎您在成像期间和孩子一起坐在房间里。
• Your child will be asked to lie on the imaging table.
• The table will slide into the scanner.
• Your child must remain still while the images are taken. This is crucial, as any movement can lead to mis-registration between the low-dose CT and the PET scan.
• The technologist will be watching the procedure through the window and by TV monitor.
• 当您的孩子位于扫描仪中时，计算机会创建身体的图像。
• 如果在临床上指示诊断性CT扫描，并已由处方医生订购，则将在PET扫描之前或之后进行。

Depending on the type of PET/CT scan, your child will be in the scanner from 30 to 45 minutes.

您的孩子可能会感到与静脉注射针的插入有关的一些不适。用于该过程的针很小。注射放射线药物后，将针头撤回，并将绷带放在注射部位上。如果指示诊断性CT，您的孩子可能会收到IV对比度，我们将保持静脉注射并在研究完成后删除。如果您的孩子在CT扫描期间收到IV对比度，那么他/她在管理过程中感到温暖是正常的，但是，在IV次管理后，这种感觉将消失。仅当医生认为它有助于诊断质量和/或研究解释时，才会给出IV对比。

The PET/CT scanner does not touch your child, nor will he or she feel anything from the scanner.

We are committed to ensuring that your child receives the smallest radiation dose needed to obtain the desired result.

• Nuclear medicine has been used on babies and children for more than 40 years with no known adverse effects from the low doses employed.
• The radiopharmaceutical and a low-dose attenuation CT present a very small amount of radiation exposure to your child, but we believe that the benefit to your child's health outweighs potential radiation risk.

一旦完成PET/CT扫描，将通过核医学医师评估图像的质量。如果扫描足够，您的孩子将可以自由离开并恢复正常活动。

One of the Children's nuclear medicine physicians will review your child's images and create a report of the findings and diagnosis.

核医学医师将向命令您孩子的PET/CT扫描的医生提供报告。然后，您的孩子的医生将与您讨论结果。