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Nuclear Medicine: Science and Safety

Article  in  Canadian Medical Association Journal · October 1996

Source: PubMed Central

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John E. Mcfee
McFysics Consulting
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 There is little that is amusing in matic diseases. With two exceptions, Nuclear Medicine:
this book, except for an anecdote all of the chapters are versions of re- Science and Safety
about a surgeon who was electro- views recently published as part of
cuted by insufficiently guarded wires the ABC series in the British Medical A.C. Perkins. 182 pp. Illust. John Libbey and
with a potential difference of 60 000 journal. Comipany Ltd., London. 1995. US$44. ISBN
volts. Luckily, the surgeon suffered This is a very readable, practical, 0-86196-470-5
no lasting effects. extensively illustrated volume, which
The book is of interest to radiolo- succeeds in introducing the reader Overall rating: Good
gists who have practised in Toronto or to rheumatic diseases. The emiphasis Strengths: Easy to read, well illustrated
who practise there now, and it serves is clearly on diagnosis, classification Weaknesses: Somne typographical errors,
some figures miiislabelled anid
as a cautionary tale for those wishing and treatnent; pathophysiology and no index
to settle in "TO" in the future. disease mechanisms are scarcely Audience: Genieral clinical staff as well
as technicians, nurses and
mentioned. Since many of the physi- physicians who are not spe-
Frank I. Jackson, MB, FRCPC cal signs of rheumatic diseases are cialists in nuclear medicine
Department of Radiology and Diagnostic visual, the high-quality colour illus-
Imaging trations and figures in this book add This book provides a reasonable
University of Alberta Hospitals
Edmonton, Alta. considerably to its overall educa- introduction to nuclear inedi-
tional value. These illustrations com- cine. The subject is addressed in a
plement the clear and concise text. broad manner, and the book does not
Topics are organized under subhead- go into depth on most topics. T'his
ABC of Rheumatology ings within each chapter. The editor very lack of depth makes it useful for
has successfully preserved a uniforn general clinical staff, technicians,
Edited by Michael L. Snaith. 90 pp. Illust. BMJ format and style throughout the nurses and physicians, but not for "sci-
Publishing Group, London. 1996. Distributed in book, making it inviting and enjoy- entific, techlnical and radiographic staff
Canada by the Canadian Medical Association, able to read. Because each topic is working in nuclear medicine depart-
Ottawa. $42.95 ($35.95 CMA members). ISBN necessarily treated in a cursory fash- Iments," as stated on the back cover.
0-7279-0997-5 ion, a list of references to more de- TIhe author starts with a fairly
tailed reviews at the end of each conventional description of ionizing
Overall rating: Very good chapter would have been helpful. radiation and its biological effects
Strengths: Clear, concise and well illus- Chapters on septic arthritis, rheu- and a comparison of radiation risks
trated
Weaknesses: Little on pathophysiology matic manifestations of nonrheu- and other commiion risks. The tech-
and disease mechanisms; matic diseases and mechanisms of nology of nuclear medicine is ad-
few references for further autoimmunity and inflammation dressed in chapter 2, which is fol-
reading
Audience: Medical students, postgradu- would also have been welcome. lowed by a chapter that describes a
ate medical trainees, family ABC of Rheumatology serves wide variety of clinical applications
physicians and allied health equally well as an introduction for of nuclear iliedicine. Chapter 4 is
care professionals
junior trainees or practising family devoted largely to comparing doses
physicians. It is also a suitable refer- of radiation froin diagnostic radiol-
Similar in style and content to the ence for allied health care profes- ogy with those from nuclear medi-
popular Primer on the Rheumatic sionals, including nurses and physi- cine procedures. Chapter 5 provides
Diseases,' this book is slimmer and cal and occupational therapists. a good cross-section of information
has less than half the text and many Some chapters (for example, the for patients undergoing nuclear
more illustrations. The excellent chapter on fibromyalgia) may be imedicine procedures and for attend-
colour illustrations and boxed sum- very useful for patient education. ing staff. The last chapter discusses
maries account for more than half of radiation management.
the total book. RobertJ.R. McKendry, MD, FRCPC There are two very useful appen-
Of the 20 chapters, the first 5 ex- Director dices on properties of radionuclides
amine regional pain syndromes, the Rheumatic Disease Unit commonly used in nuclear mnedicine
University of Ottawa
next 10 cover common rheumatic and Ottawa General Hospital and on safety data for various nuclear
diseases and the final 5 are devoted Ottawa, Ont. medicine preparations and procedures.
to miscellaneous topics including The approach is generally good
vasculitis, laboratory tests, epide- Reference and offers the occasional fresh view-
miologic aspects and the team ap- 1. Schumacher HR Jr, Klippel JH, Koopmiian WJ, point. For example, a table expresses
editors. Pimer on the rheumatic diseases. 10th ed.
proach to the management of rheu- Atlanta: The Arthritis Foundation, 1993. the dose received from various ra-

1096 CAN MED ASSOC J * 15 OCT. 1996; 155 (8)

diographic and nuclear miedicinie cians and other counisellors to re- cohol-dependent or overly rigid. She
procedures both as an equivalcent thinik how they respond to their pa- listenied imore careftilly to their sto-
nuiiiber of chest radiographs anid as tients with chronic pain. Writteni by ries and uncovered a strong associa-
an equivalent period of exposure to Dr. Nellie Radomsky, a family tion between their symptoms and a
natural radiation. rhe author lhas physician fromii Red Deer, Alta., it history of abuse in their famnilies.
emiployed a liberal numiiber of well - reflects her experienices as a family TI he book is divided into three
thought-out figures and tables, physiciani carinig for miiany womien parts. In the first, she explores how
which augmient and clarify the text. with clhronic pain. She observes how physicians and patients usually deal
However, the text is SOmIleWhlat the bioiiiedical miiodel and its tradi- with acute and chronlic pain, and
uneveni. A table of conversion be- tionial cliical iiethod are at least how the bliomedical ancd biopsycho-
tween curies and becquerels is of unhlelpful and at worst harmiiful to social models affect physicianis' and
limited value. Chapter 4 dwells ex- these %komen, as they silenice those patients' response to illness and dis-
cessively on the fact that niuclear who have beeni abused. ease.
nmedicine procedures do not gener- Radoiiisky conducted a smiiall re- 'The seconld part of the book is
ally produce doses far greater than search project in her owni practice. the milost powerful. She recoullts
those of radiological procedures This book informiis the noniacadeiiiic seven fictitious stories based onl hcr
T here are several typographical er- coiiimiunity about what she learnied extended clinical involvemient with
rors, somiie of which may confuse the professionally and personally by do- female patients whose hiistories of vi-
reader. Although an erratumii identi- ing this work. She caine to recognize olence anid abuse stronigly influeniced
fied two sets of figures whose cap- tllat hier traditional miedical training their physical healtlh and mental
tions had been switched, I founid ad- had not provided her with the ne- well-being. Interspersed with these
ditional mislabelled figures as well as cessary knowledge or skills to help case studies are her reflectionis, not
incorrect references to figures and x-omnen with chronic pain. She be- only oni what the symnptomns imeant
tables. rhe inclusioni of an inidex gaii to routinely ask all of her pa- to the individual patients but also on
would have been helpful. tienits imiore about their families anid what she learned about health and
Ihis is an interesting, readable about whether their parents were al- illlness from her experience as their
book for genieral staff, but too sillt-
plistic for experts in the field.
John McFee
Head
Threat Detection Group
Defence Research Establishiiient Suffield
Niediciine Hat, Alta.
© 1996 Government of Canada
.-integration
e
.....

tthe goal..
Lost Voices: Women, .
...
...
...
..~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chronic Pain, and Abuse

Nellie A. Radonmsky. 169 pp. Haworth Press.
Inc., New York. 1995. US$24.95, hardco.-,f,
US$14.95, paperback; ISBN 1-56024-921 3,
hardcover; ISBN 1-56023-864-X, paperback

Overall rating: Excellenit

Strengths: Thoughtful, enigaging, based
on clinical scenarios from
author's own practice
Weaknesses: None
Audience: Primarily tor the publit, alsO
useful to mledical learners
anld practisin,g physicianls

J ost Voices: Womnen, C'hr-onic Pain,

Liand Abuse is a mnoving and tin-
portanlt book that challenges physi-
CAN MED ASSOC J * OC]. 15, 1996; 155 (8) 1097

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