How long does a radioactive injection stay in your body?

Radioactive Injections: A Temporary Trace

Radioactive injections, often used in medical imaging procedures like bone scans and thyroid scans, may sound scary, but the reality is much less dramatic. While the term “radioactive” conjures images of glowing green goo, the amount used in these injections is incredibly small and disappears from the body relatively quickly.

How Long Does It Stay?

The radioactive material used in these injections typically has a short half-life, meaning it decays rapidly. In most cases, trace amounts of the radioactive substance will be gone from your body within less than a day. It’s important to remember that these are trace amounts, far below any level that could pose a health risk.

Minimizing Contact

Even with the short half-life, it’s still recommended to minimize close contact with vulnerable individuals – infants, children, and pregnant women – for the initial period following the injection, usually within the first 24 hours. This is a precautionary measure to ensure their exposure to any remaining trace amounts is as low as possible.

Results and Beyond

After the injection, you can expect the diagnostic results to become available within a fortnight (two weeks). This timeframe allows for the radioactive material to disperse and for the imaging scans to be analyzed thoroughly.

Remember:

• The amount of radioactive material used in medical injections is extremely small.
• It disappears from the body quickly, within a day or less.
• Minimize close contact with vulnerable individuals for the first 24 hours following the injection as a precaution.
• Diagnostic results will be available within two weeks.

If you have any concerns or questions about radioactive injections, be sure to discuss them with your doctor. They will be able to provide you with all the necessary information and address any worries you may have.