A database management system for nuclear medicine

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a databank of Nuclear Medicine activities in Turkey. Until recently, no databanks existed in any field in Turkey. This was because the available technology was insufficient to establish such databanks. As a result, obtaining specific information about a subject in any field was time consuming and expensive. However, today, the facilities exist to construct databanks and extensive work has been done to computerize and establish databanks of birth certificates, police records and other information. The purpose of this thesis is to establish such a databank in Nuclear Medicine. This system is meant to be used by all physicians (both Nuclear Medicine physicians and non- Nuclear Medicine ones), Nuclear Physicists, chemists, University Biomedical students and staff, equipment suppliers and government agencies. Primarily, it will be most helpful to physicians in the eastern part of Turkey, where Nuclear Medicine centers are not available and for physicians who can not follow the recent developments taking place in this field in Turkey. This thesis consists of two parts. The first describes the field of Nuclear Medicine. It has three sections. The first is a detailed description of the gamma camera, the second describes the isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals used in Nuclear Medicine imaging, and the third, Nuclear Medicine studies. The second part of the thesis describes the database manager program, PC-FILE III, used to organize the data collected from Nuclear Medicine centers. It also has three sections. The first section describes how the database was designed, i.e. file definitions, data collection and distribution between them are given. The second section discusses the use of the database manager, and the last provides a detailed report derived from the database. The thesis is concluded with examples of how the system is used, how it can be extended for future needs and the advantages and disadvantages of the system.