NMI adds valuable new tool in treating patients

An X-ray is an X-ray, right? For nearly 100 years that was largely true, but today, radiology has many arrows in their quiver of diagnostic tools to find and recommend treatment for illness in any part of the body.

Nuclear molecular imaging (formerly called nuclear medicine) is the newest addition to our radiologic repertoire of illness finding and fighting tools. Bonner General Hospital's NMI department, two years in the planning and licensing, began seeing patients last November. It is a fascinating, dimly lit world of impressive equipment and professionals that employs state-of-the-art nuclear technology to scan and diagnose potential problems with the heart, lungs, thyroid, brain, gallbladder, liver, kidneys, bones and other organs.

Doctors Mark Weber, Stephen Bartok and Ed Van Vooren, all board certified in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine by The American Board of Radiology, are the team of physicians who utilize the outstanding imaging tools Bonner General is fortunate to have at our facility.

In NMI, a drug designed for imaging a particular part of the body is piggybacked onto a nuclear isotope and is injected or swallowed, then miraculously finds its way to the area being examined. It then attaches itself so that the gamma camera can assess suspected problems.

The technology is especially effective and widely used in cardiac diagnosing. Dr. Ronald Jenkins and Dr. Robert Holman are local cardiologists who are also trained and certified to read the NMI cardiac studies and who partner with BGH Radiology to determine the best protocol for individual patient needs and conditions.

Unlike other radioactive materials, the drugs and isotopes used in NMI become non-radioactive within hours of being formulated. Most of the drugs used generally dissipate from a patient's system within 24 hours. According to Dr. Mark Weber, the typical exposure in NMI is about equivalent to a chest X-ray, or roughly the same amount of exposure as taking a flight from Spokane to Denver. So the risk is minimal and the resulting information the tests provide is priceless to those fighting illness.

Interestingly, the drugs used in NMI are measured in millicuries, named for Marie Curie of Madam Curie fame. Mike Sexsmith, Chief Technologist for Bonner General's NMI Department noted that this powerful technology can not only locate and diagnose, but actually treat such diseases as Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma with specially targeted antibodies. While BGH is not currently performing this treatment, it has proven the most effective against this devastating illness, often sending it into remission. The procedure may be somewhere on our horizon as well.

Licensing and inspection of NMI facilities in Idaho is done by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and in fact the BGH department just received their first unscheduled inspection and passed without a glitch or a deficiency. They were even cited for exceeding requirements and innovating even more effective methods of insuring nuclear safety.

Also in the BHG arsenal are a 16 Row Multidetector CT Scanner (MDCT), also state-of-the-art technology, ultrasound, and a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System) which basically provides for filmless imaging. The old style X-Rays are nearly outmoded and in their stead, the PACS system incorporates four screens with images, patient information and other data for the radiologist to use, all visible at one time. It is like a multi-screen movie which provides our specialized radiologic doctors with everything they need to see "dem bones."

Whether you say "nucular" like our president, or nuclear like non-Texans, this branch of radiology is a miracle in diagnostic medicine, and we are fortunate to have it right here in Sandpoint.