Pet Scan & Brain Trauma

A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a tool used by doctors to diagnose a variety of problems inside the body. PET scans are especially important for identifying brain trauma because it is often difficult to get an accurate image of the brain.

PET Scan

• A PET scan is technology that uses nuclear medicine imagery. Effectively, the patient is injected with a low-level, non-hazardous dose of radiation that glows so doctors can clearly see internal organs when the patient is examined within the PET scan machine.

Brain Trauma Identification

• Doctors read PET scans by looking for blood flow or the rate of glucose metabolism. In the case of a patient suffering from brain trauma, the doctor will see an area of reduced, or no, blood flow or glucose metabolism.

Brain Trauma Definition

• Brain trauma is a broad term used to describe any sort of injury to the brain that has an external cause. Typically, brain trauma is caused by the head hitting a hard surface, such as in the case of a car accident.