[Recommendations for carrying out nuclear medicine kidney function tests with a gamma camera and computer].

Abstract

Standardization of nuclear medicine renal studies is required in order to permit the comparison of study results of a patient obtained at different laboratories. Furthermore, standardization is a prerequisite for quality control of the analysis part of the procedure. The guidelines presented here are based on a survey carried out amongst nuclear medicine laboratories in Austria and have been edited and harmonized in a workshop organized by the Austrian Nuclear Medicine Society. The guidelines include detailed descriptions of the requirements of instrumentation, of the methods of acquisition, dosage and radiation dose of the commonly used radiopharmaceuticals and all aspects of the analysis of digital renograms. A comprehensive section deals with the determination of renal clearance from the renogram, further sections cover the usage and recommended methods of captopril renography for the diagnosis of unilateral renal artery stenosis and of the frusemide renogram for the diagnosis of nephropathy and uropathy.