These procedure guidelines describe almost all common patient investigations and therapies that are carried out by a department of nuclear medicine. The emphasis is on the quality of the procedures as well as the necessary equipment and radiopharmaceuticals.

Most of the investigations relate to diagnostic procedures, though therapeutic treatments using radiopharmaceuticals are also discussed.

Furthermore, this book describes physical and pharmaceutical aspects used in nuclear medicine.

It is primarily intended as a handbook and reference for those working at a department of nuclear medicine and for those who are still in training.

However, it is not a textbook and does not follow the evidence based medicine methodology.

Members of the Dutch society of nuclear medicine (NVNG) wrote the procedure guidelines under the direction of the NVNG committee for quality improvement with the assistance of the Dutch society of clinical physics (NVKF) and the Dutch society of hospital pharmacists (NVZA).

The members of the Dutch society of nuclear medicine accepted these procedure guidelines in a general meeting.

With this publication the current opinion within nuclear medicine with respect to high quality patient care is decreed.