title: Clinical evaluation of technetium-99m infecton for the localisation of bacterial infection.
abstract: The aim of the study was to distinguish infection from inflammation in patients with suspected infection using technetium-99m Infecton. Ninety-nine patients (102 studies) referred for infection evaluation underwent imaging with 400 MBq 99mTc-Infecton at 1 and 4 h. Most patients had appropriate microbiological tests and about half (56) had radiolabelled white cell scans as well. No adverse effects were noted in any patient. The clinical efficacy of 99mTc-Infecton depended in part on whether imaging was undertaken during antibiotic therapy for infection or not. In consultation with the microbiologist, 5-14 days of appropriate and successful antibiotic therapy was considered adequate to classify some results as true-negatives. The figures for sensitivity and specificity of 99mTc-Infecton for active or unsuccessfully treated infection were 83% and 91% respectively. It is concluded that 99mTc-Infecton imaging contributed to the differential diagnosis of inflammation. It is being used as the first imaging modality when bacterial infection is suspected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, U.K.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Britton
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vinjamuri
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Solanki
authors.forename: Q H
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Siraj
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bomanji
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis; D007962:Leukocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013667:Technetium
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D013667:Technetium