“Our supplier confirmed this morning (Dec. 5) that we would not receive a delivery this week because the nuclear reactor that produces the radioisotopes for us and many other hospitals in North America is temporarily out of service,” explains South Shore Health’s VP of Medicine Dr. Peter Vaughan. “We are in the process of contacting patients directly impacted and will be rescheduling their appointments as quickly as possible. We know this is concerning to our patients and will be offering extended hours to help address the backlog once the product becomes available.”

Nuclear medicine is a diagnostic tool that uses small amounts of radioactive material to determine the presence and level of disease such as cancer, infection and fractures.

Within South Shore Health, nuclear medicine scans are primarily used for bone scans, thyroid, kidney, heart studies and gallbladder. They provide important information health care professionals use to determine the course of a patient’s treatment.

“Unfortunately, our supplier is unable to give us a firm date when the material may be available,” said South Shore Health’s Manager of Diagnostic Imaging, Terry Sansford. “In the meantime, we will rely on other diagnostic tools such as CAT Scans to support patient care decisions whenever possible.”