Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Due to a shortage of a radioactive isotope used in medical imagery of certain organs, some patients have been forced to delay important medical scans. At St. Joseph’s Hospital about 50 patients a week have had to reschedule their tests because of the shortage.
The radioactive isotope, Technetium-99-M, makes imagery of vital organs like the heart, kidneys, lungs, and bones possible. Technetium-99-M is not produced in the U.S., and the generator in Canada, where it's usually made, has been shut down because of safety concerns since last May. As scientists work to get it fixed, hospitals are left cutting back the number of scans they can offer. “Without Technetium, you would see nothing,” said Vincent Martinez, Coordinator of Nuclear Medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
One test St. Joseph's never limits is cardiac stress tests. Instead, the hospital is forced to use an older isotope that works just as well, but exposes patients to more radiation.
Worldwide shortage of medical testing isotope
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - A worldwide shortage of a radioactive material known as Technetium-99-M could force some common medical tests to be postponed.
The isotope is used in bone scans, kidney scans and thyroid scans, helping doctors answer a lot of important questions including whether certain cancers have spread to the bone.
Technetium-99-M is produced at only two nuclear reactors in the entire world, and both are being shutdown for repairs. Hospitals also can't stockpile it because it must be used within days of being produced.
