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Nuclear Medicine and Specialised PET Services

The Department of Nuclear Medicine provides a comprehensive range of diagnostic scans and therapeutic procedures for both adults and children.

Location specific information

The Prince Charles Hospital

Diagnostic procedures

  • Bone Mineral Densitometry (BMD)
  • Bone scan for trauma, infection or skeletal metastases
  • Captopril renography for renvascular hypertension
  • Colon transit
  • Gallium scan
  • Gastric emptying
  • Gated heart pool scan
  • Liver/gallbladder scan
  • Lung ventilation and perfusion scan
  • Meta-lodobenzyl Guanidine (MIBG) localisation of neuro- endocrine tumours
  • Pentetreotide (Octreoscan) localisation of gastro- enteropancreatic tumours
  • Renal scans: MAG-3, DMSA, DTPA and GFR
  • Stress/Rest MyocardialPerfusion Studies
  • Thyroid scan

Therapeutic procedures

  • Therapy for hyperthyroidism (direct referral or through Endocrinology Clinic)

Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital

  • Nuclear Medicine and Specialised PET Services
    • To date, Medicare guidelines do not permit us to accept referrals from GP’s for PET services. We will immediately issue a notification if the situation changes.

General Nuclear Medicine

A comprehensive general Nuclear Medicine service is provided. Common procedures are listed below as a sample of the range of services provided.

  • Bone scan for trauma, infection or skeletal metastases
  • V/Q – Lung ventilation and perfusion scan
  • Renal scans: MAG-3, DMSA, DTPA and Captopril Renography for renovascular hypertension
  • GFR studies
  • Stress/Rest Myocardial Perfusion Studies
  • Thyroid scans
  • Parathyroid studies
  • Brain scans for perfusion, dementia and epilepsy foci assessment
  • Gallium scans for infection and inflammation
  • Lymphoscintigraphy studies (breast cancer and melanoma)
  • Gastric emptying
  • Colonic transit studies
  • Liver/gallbladder scan
  • Gated Heart Pool scan
  • Meta-lodobenzyl Guanidine (MIBG) localisation of neuroendocrine tumours

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

  • FDG
  • Ga-PSMA
  • Ga-Dotatate
  • FDOPA
  • FMISO
  • A number of other radiopharmaceuticals

Therapeutic procedures

  • Lu-177 Dotatate (lutate) Therapy for neuroendocrine disease (through state-wide NET service, Division of Oncology)
  • I-131 Therapy for hyperthyroidism (direct referral or through Thyroid Clinic)
  • I-131 Therapy for thyroid cancer (through state-wide Thyroid Cancer Clinic, Division of Oncology)
  • Personalised radionuclude dosimetry
  • Radiation Synovectomy (through Rheumatology)

Referral requirements

A referral may be rejected without the following information.

  • Impact on employment
  • Impact on education
  • Impact on home
  • Impact on activities of daily living
  • Impact on ability to care for others
  • Impact on personal frailty or safety
  • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

  • To establish a diagnosis
  • For treatment or intervention
  • For advice and management
  • For specialist to take over management
  • Reassurance for GP/second opinion
  • For a specified test/investigation the GP can’t order, or the patient can’t afford or access
  • Reassurance for the patient/family
  • For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
  • Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

  • Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
  • Physical findings
  • Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
  • Body mass index (BMI)
  • Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
  • Current medications and dosages
  • Drug allergies
  • Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

  • Full name (including aliases)
  • Date of birth
  • Residential and postal address
  • Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
  • Medicare number (where eligible)
  • Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
  • Preferred language and interpreter requirements
  • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

  • Full name
  • Full address
  • Contact details – telephone, fax, email
  • Provider number
  • Date of referral
  • Signature

  • Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
  • Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
  • Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)

Specialists list

Send referral

Hotline: 1300 364 938

Fax: 1300 364 952

Electronic: eReferral system

Mail: Metro North Central Patient Intake
Aspley Community Centre
776  Zillmere Road
ASPLEY QLD 4034

Health pathways

Access to Health Pathways is free for clinicians in Metro North Brisbane.

For login details email:
healthpathways@brisbanenorthphn.org.au

Login to Brisbane North Health Pathways:
brisbanenorth.healthpathwayscommunity.org

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