Examination of pregnant ladies

If necessary a few nuclear medicine examination may be performed on pregnant ladies such as for example a lung scintigraphy, in order to diagnose or rule out a lung embolism. Pregnancy is definitely not a contra-indication for a nuclear medicine examination. But the well-being of the developing child must always be considered too. Therefore the risks and advantages must be weighed up to the best of one's knowledge and the woman must be informed about it in exact detail.

Routine examinations are not performed on pregnant ladies, as long as a result of such an examination is not absolutely necessary for present monitoring and therefore may be postponed to a date after the pregnancy. The dose, to which the foetus is exposed, varies greatly depending on the type of examination and can be minimised during pregnancies, by reducing the applied activity.

The main risk for the foetus is considered to be the potential cancer illness in childhood. Estimates of this risk range from 30 to 130 cases per 1 mSv. There is no indication of congenital deformations of a foetus exposed to radiation of less than 100 mSv. The possibility of mental delayed development is today regarded as a reduced IQ by 0.03 points per mSv during radiation in the gestational period of 8 to 15 weeks.

Simply this means that no proven effect can be established after whichever type of nuclear medicine examination. In the capacity of an embryo in the first three weeks after procreation no damage is seen for the living born child.

The consideration of a nuclear medicine examination during pregnancy should be discussed by the head of the concerned ward or a doctor in a responsible position with a nuclear physician, also in a responsible position. Above all it is important that a pregnant or breastfeeding lady is briefed about the risks which are associated with such an examination, before she comes for the nuclear medicine examination.

Pregnancy and the post-partum period are an emotionally stressful time and a radiation load during pregnancy is liable to negative signs. Such a patient should seek advice from her partner, for which then there is no more time if the possible risks are only brought to the patient's attention just before the examination.