Actual problems of nuclear medicine in pediatrics (review)

On the basis of literature data and personal experience, the current state and prospects for the development of nuclear medicine in pediatrics are analyzed. The main directions of radionuclide diagnostics and radionuclide therapy in children are briefly considered. The importance of accurate determination of the optimal value of the activity of a specific radiopharmaceutical administered to a child, taking into account his body weight and the study protocol, was noted. A tendency for an increase in the radiation load on patients is shown due to the widespread introduction into clinical practice of hybrid installations for radionuclide studies, when using which the dose of internal radiation from radiopharmaceuticals is supplemented by the dose of external radiation from X-ray CT. The need to take into account the risk of radiation-induced carcinogenesis in nuclear medical procedures, the probability of which in children is significantly higher than in adults, is emphasized. The technological and psychological features of these procedures in children are discussed. The necessity of substantial revision of domestic normative documents regulating the use of means and methods of nuclear medicine in pediatrics has been substantiated.