Nuclear Cardiology Study Guide: A Technologist's Review for Passing Specialty Certification Exams

293 Pages·2014·5.15 MB·English

by  Andrzej Moniuszko

Andrzej Moniuszko
B. Adrian Kesala
Nuclear Cardiology
Study Guide
A Technologist’s Review
for Passing Specialty
Certifi cation Exams
123
Nuclear Cardiology Study Guide

Andrzej Moniuszko (cid:129) B. Adrian Kesala

Nuclear Cardiology
Study Guide
A Technologist’s Review for Passing
Specialty Certifi cation Exams
Andrzej Moniuszko, MD B. Adrian Kesala, MD
Department of Radiology Department of Radiology
Presence Resurrection Medical Center Staff Radiologist Presence Resurrection
Chicago, IL, USA Medical Center
Chicago , IL , USA
ISBN 978-1-4614-8644-2 ISBN 978-1-4614-8645-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-8645-9
Springer New York Heidelberg Dordrecht London
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013947921
© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014
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I would like to dedicate this work to
my current and past coworkers from the
Nuclear Medicine Department at Presence
Health in Chicago—Sandra Jennings,
Kathleen Tiffi n, Anjum Ahmed†,
Marilyn Biel, Michele Strom,
Nisha Varghese, Komal Desai,
Sharon Nyczak, and Brett Nemer
for the willingness to share knowledge
and experience.
Andrzej Moniuszko, CNMT, ARRT (N),
NCT, PET
This work is dedicated to my wife Larissa
B. Adrian Kesala, MD

Pref ace
Nuclear Cardiology Study Guide is the third publication in the series of nuclear
medicine guides written in question and answer format. All three books—N uclear
Medicine Technology , PET and PET / CT , and Nuclear Cardiology —collectively
provide comprehensive knowledge and cover a broad spectrum of problems
involving the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment
of disease.
This book is designed for technologists, practitioners, students, and trainees in
medical imaging to serve as a practical tool to study multiple aspects of nuclear
cardiology. It was written and reviewed by individuals who have a wide range of
nuclear medicine expertise: a practicing nuclear medicine physician, a nuclear
medicine college teacher, and an experienced nuclear medicine technologist.
A broad assembly of authors and contributors, with different nuclear medicine
experiences, provides an array of problems that technologists and practitioners
can, and will, encounter in everyday practice. Some of the questions are easy, and
some of them are not. In either case, the book is not designed to test the reader’s
knowledge. Rather, it should be viewed as tool to learn and deepen knowledge of
nuclear cardiology. It is said that a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Our book
includes a variety of images, graphics, and diagrams. It is our hope that these illus-
trations will help the reader to get to the bottom of the problem and come up with
the right solution quickly.
The book is divided into four chapters and three appendices. We kick off the
book with a chapter on test-taking strategies, which is designed to equip readers
with practical tools and methods to successfully navigate through the multiple-
choice exam. It was written by a recent Master of Business Administration gradu-
ate, a GED Chief Examiner, and an instructor with a Master of Arts in philosophy;
their knowledge and hands-on experience provide readers with valuable insider tips.
Chapters 2 , 3 , and 4 contain the test problems. Each test includes multiple-choice
questions, with a total of more than 600 problems. The chapters are organized in
three levels of complexity, from the easiest to the most diffi cult. Generally, tagging
vii
viii Preface
questions as easy or diffi cult is a tricky matter and highly subjective. Nevertheless,
for learning purposes, the proposed classifi cation is benefi cial for readers. Each
chapter is a separate entity with answers and short explanations included. This
approach works like building blocks, in which the completion of the fi rst test will
prepare the reader to progress to the second test, and so on.
Appendices A and B offer a list of commonly used abbreviations and a glossary
of terms which are encountered in everyday nuclear medicine practice and beyond.
The abbreviations and the glossary can appear as either too short or simply too long.
Some readers will fi nd the included terms as “unnecessary”; some readers will not
fi nd the abbreviation for which they are looking. One size never fi ts all, and thus the
subjective choices, as is our selection, are not perfect. Use it to your advantage.
There is enough space between the lines, and in the margins, to add or modify as to
your own preferences. Understanding the acronyms will pay off in the long run;
simply being able to decode it will be short lived. Therefore, a thorough review of
the abbreviations and glossary before the examinations can be very helpful and
highly suggested. Appendix C offers a list of updated, useful Web sites to refresh
knowledge or to learn new skills.
The collection of problems in this book mirrors the exam content as provided by
National Medicine Technology Certifi cation Board (NMTCB). The questions
cover topics in radiation safety, radionuclides, and instrumentation, to name a few.
The reader should never be discouraged when the type of “never heard of” or “it is
over my head” problem is encountered. We advise readers to go through these
questions carefully and answer diligently—you will be surprised how much you
already know and how much you still can learn. Both factors serve as great motiva-
tors. Learning should be fun, entertaining, and contagious. Nuclear medicine is a
challenging and rapidly evolving fi eld of medicine, and the only way to keep pace
with its development is through continuous learning. Nuclear cardiology proce-
dures that were popular in the 1970s are no longer performed, and many new
radiotracers and procedures have since been successfully introduced. The integra-
tion of molecular imaging not only demonstrates a signifi cant paradigm shift for
the specialty but guarantees that nuclear medicine will be a major part of medical
practice for the conceivable future.
Be a part of this exciting journey. Make learning fun, and make it a habit—this
is the kind of addiction you can afford. The benefi ts are overwhelming. You can
receive the 24 continuing education credit hours, keep your professional license,
and, some would say—most importantly—meet your superiors’ expectations. You
can read, you can study, you can investigate, and you can challenge yourself and
others. Best of all you can exceed…your own expectations. The choice is yours.
Again, it is beyond the scope of words to express my appreciation to Prof.
Joanne Metler, Coordinator of Nuclear Medicine Technology Program, College of
DuPage, IL, for her patience in reviewing the manuscript. Her insight, helpful criti-
cism, suggestions, and insistence on clarity, accuracy, and consistency deserve
nothing but my sincere gratitude. I was fortunate enough to be her student, and
Preface ix
I will always appreciate both her deep knowledge of nuclear medicine and her
wonderful generosity of spirit. Hope your retirement is everything you expect it to
be and much more.
We would also like to thank George Chang, PACS Coordinator, Presence Health,
and Todd Monis, Director of Cardiac and Interventional Services, Presence Health,
for their instrumental help in preparing clinical images used in this book.
Chicago , IL , USA Andrzej Moniuszko, CNMT, ARRT (N), NCT, PET
B. Adrian Kesala, MD