Quote Originally Posted by HNSB View Post
We have a nuclear medicine department at the facility where I work. Patients are injected with a radioactive isotope for imaging studies. I've never seen anyone freak out when it's explained to them that they are going to have radioactive material injected into their body.
Some ask questions, but I have yet to see anyone refuse a study.
You are right HNSB...these days, they do all sorts of nuclear/isotope labeling and dye imaging these days as these become common place in medicine. But, I was speaking historically...I recall a panel that was set up shortly after the publication of an article outlining the successful use of NMR in humans (I think late 70s or so). The panel was to discuss the merits of whether they should change the name to something other than NMR, exactly because of the uncertainties associated in using the word "nuclear". If I recall, it was decided that by using the term as is, will result in the widespread "fear" amongst patients, and patient groups...so the term was MRI...less innocuous and "invasive"-sounding. Not to mention, they are slightly different in the way they image.