Quality management (QM) is essential for modern nuclear medicine departments. This publication presents a method of conducting a systematic annual audit process. A key outcome of the QM methodology should be a culture of reviewing essential elements of the clinical service. Each chapter of this publication is set out as a series of questions related to specific components of the nuclear medicine service. The diversity of the service and the multidisciplinary nature of the contributions (including clinical, technical, radiopharmaceutical and medical physics procedures) are considered. The QM methodology described in this publication is designed to be applied to a variety of economic circumstances and will be of use to those involved in the development or implementation of QM systems.

Radionuclide generators are a cost effective and efficient means to enhance the availability of short lived radioisotopes used in medicine and industry. This publication presents technologies for the development of 90Sr/90Y and 188W/188Re generator systems and provides details about the analytical methods that are used for evaluating the radionuclides to be used for basic research and radiopharmaceuticals preparation.

The appropriate utilization of imaging technology is an important concern in today's rapidly changing health care environment. Recent advances occurring in imaging modalities such as Multi-Slice CT, interventional radiology, MRI, and nuclear medicine have had a significant impact on the safety and quality of patient care. "Quality and Patient Safety in Imaging" presents a comprehensive overview of the current issues involved in the creation of programs and protocols to ensure uniform standards of quality and safety are maintained in diagnostic imaging procedures. The book is intended as a reference source not only for imaging professionals, but also for referring clinicians and allied health workers who utilize imaging services for patient care. Chapters address such topics as performance and process improvements developing within imaging centers at health care facilities, radiation standards and appropriateness criteria developed by societies such as the American College of Radiology, and ongoing initiatives for maintaining professional assessment criteria for imaging professionals and support staff. In addition, evidence-based imaging data will be used to present quality and safety issues within each imaging modality, and patient-care topics will be addressed, such as medication management, communication, and customer service issues.

This book provides the most up-to-date coverage of the combined use of imaging modalities in order to acquire important functional and morphological information on cardiovascular disease and enhance disease detection. The recent developments in PET/MRI, cardiac CT, PET/CT and SPECT/CT and their impact on clinical practice are explained and special attention is also devoted to imaging parameters and protocols for use in practice and research. The utility of multimodality imaging techniques for diagnosis and evaluation is discussed in the context of various clinical scenarios, including ischemic cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, myocardial fibrosis, cardiac sarcoidosis and atherosclerotic plaque disease. Written by renowned researchers and clinicians, the book is an ideal concise reference on today's most advanced imaging techniques. It will appeal to all clinicians, trainees and technicians who are involved in the diagnosis and risk assessment of cardiovascular disease.