Implementation of a Lung Perfusion Only Imaging Protocol with SPECT or SPECT/CT in a Major Academic University Hospital Healthcare System in Adaption to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced medical institutions and health care systems all over the world to adapt to a rapidly changing environment with the challenge to deliver high quality health care while minimizing risk to staff and patients alike. This has presented a unique problem requiring both flexibility and innovativeness. Furthermore, there are the logistical challenges in policy implementation which are proportionally increased the larger the system is. Aerosol-generating procedures, such as ventilation scanning, inherently increase the risk of virus spread. The incorporation of SPECT or SPECT/CT with Tc-99m-MAA perfusion only imaging can help improve the diagnostic accuracy of the exam in the absence of ventilation imaging. SPECT scanning improves the delineation and distribution of perfusion defects through 3-D imaging. Low dose CT used in conjunction with SPECT is able to identify other non-embolic pulmonary pathologies (i.e. pneumonia, emphysematous changes, pleural effusions) responsible for nonspecific non-segmental perfusion defects thereby increasing the specificity in characterizing true segmental perfusion defects. We demonstrate the effective translation of a Tc-99m-MAA perfusion only imaging protocol with the routine incorporation of SPECT or SPECT/CT as policy within a large multi-center health system to meet the challenge to deliver high quality health care while minimizing risk to staff and patients.
Source: Journal of Nuclear Medicine - Category: Nuclear Medicine Authors: Tags: Diagnostic & amp; Therapeutic Nuclear Medicine and Instrumentation amp; Data Analysis Source Type: research