Challenges of nuclear medicine in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors

Keywords:

Nuclear medicine services, nuclear medicine, COVID-19, PET-CT.

Abstract

Introduction: In December 2019, a new disease emerged, COVID-19, until it was declared by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. Articles and useful guides have been published internationally for the protection of personnel and guidelines for action in the Nuclear Medicine Services for the practice of examinations or treatments for patients who are positive for SARS CoV-2 or highly suspicious.

Objective: To analyze the experiences and recommendations for the Nuclear Medicine Services of different working groups in the face of the challenges posed by maintaining medical care in times of COVID-19 and to identify which ones could be applied in our country.

Methods: A bibliographic review was carried out, in Spanish and English, of publications in the course of this year. The search engines Google, Google Scholar and Pubmed were used. All the information on the recommendations and guidelines for the work of the Nuclear Medicine Services in the pandemic stage of COVID-19 and the findings found in nuclear medicine studies in asymptomatic patients, showing morphological and functional images characteristic of the pneumonia caused by COVID-19, was collected and organized.

Analysis and synthesis of the information: The different measures proposed by working groups in Asia, Europe and North America were analyzed, the most relevant were identified and it was shown that they are also the ones that coincide in almost all the recommendations.

Conclusions: It is proposed what general measures could be adopted in Cuban Nuclear Medicine Services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.


Author Biographies

Teresa Alejandra Fundora Sarraff, Instituto de Hematologia e Inmunologia

Ing. en Energética Nuclear, Físico médico,  investigador auxiliar y profesora asistente, Jefa del Servicio de Medicina Nuclear.

Láser Humberto Hernández Reyes, Instituto de Hematologia e Inmunologia

Lic. en  Tecnología de la Salud, investigador agregado y profesor asistente, Servicio de Medicina Nuclear.

Milagros Carliette Carballea Baglan, Instituto de Hematologia e Inmunologia

Lic. en  Radiofísica Médica, Responsable de Protección Radiológica, Servicio de Medicina Nuclear.

Published

2021-10-11

How to Cite

1.
Fundora Sarraff TA, Hernández Reyes LH, Carballea Baglan MC. Challenges of nuclear medicine in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rev Cubana Hematol Inmunol Hemoter [Internet]. 2021 Oct. 11 [cited 2025 Jan. 12];37. Available from: https://revhematologia.sld.cu/index.php/hih/article/view/1367

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Section

Artículos de Revisión

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