ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the impact of saline flush for syringe after 18F-FDG injection on the residual dose of 18F-FDG and the standardized uptake value (SUV) of liver during PET/CT examination. Methods: A total of 50 patients who underwent PET/CT examination were enrolled and divided into control group (n=25) and experimental group (n=25) according to different injection methods. Device system of the vein passage was established with 23 gauge scalp needle. In control group, the intravenous line was directly flushed with 5 ml physiological saline after 18F-FDG injection, while in experimental group, firstly the intravenous line was flushed with 1 ml saline, then the syringe was flushed with 2 ml saline, finally the intravenous line was flushed again with the residual 2 ml saline. The residual dose of 18F-FDG and SUVmean and SUVmax of liver were compared between the two groups. Results: The total residual dose ([0.22±0.08]mCi), syringe residual dose ([0.19±0.07]mCi) and intravenous channel residual dose ([0.03±0.02]mCi) in the experimental group were all lower than those in control group (all P0.05). Conclusion: Flushing the syringe can reduce residual dose of 18F-FDG injection. A small amount of radiopharmaceuticals retention in the syringe may not affect SUV for liver, but further standardization of the operation process of 18F-FDG injection is still necessary.