Question 1

A sample shows a count rate of 36,000 cpm during a 3-minute counting period.Express this as the count rate ± standard deviation.

Accepted Answer

A) 36,000 ± 220 cpm 
B) 36,000 ± 110 cpm 
C) 12,000 ± 55 cpm 
D) 12,000 ± 28 cpm

Question 2

It is known that 75% of a radionuclide decays away in 12 hours.If starting with 10 mCi, how much will be left after 6 hours?

Accepted Answer

A) 7.5 mCi 
B) 5 mCi 
C) 2.5 mCi 
D) 1.25 mCi

Question 3

A thyroid uptake dose of 10 $\mu$Ci is equal to how much radioactivity in SI units?

Accepted Answer

A) 37 kBq 
B) 370 kBq 
C) 3.7 MBq 
D) 37 MBq

Question 4

How many counts should be acquired into each pixel of a nuclear medicine flood image if it is desired to be 95% confident that the true count in each pixel is within 1% of the measured counts in each pixel?

Accepted Answer

A) 100,000 counts 
B) 40,000 counts 
C) 10,000 counts 
D) 4000 counts

Question 5

What is the proper number of decimal places in the sum of (0.3) + (3.5264)?

Accepted Answer

A) 3.8264 
B) 3.826 
C) 3.83 
D) 3.8

Question 6

An intensity setting of 250 on a display screen may produce a suitable image for a bar phantom with 500K counts in the acquisition.Now it is desired to change to 350K counts in the image.The intensity on the screen is known to change linearly with the intensity control setting.What intensity setting should be used for the new 350K-count image?

Accepted Answer

A) 100,000 
B) 150,000 
C) 175,000 
D) 200,000

Question 7

A 5-ml sample of a standard diluted 1:10,000 produces 27,200 counts in the well counter.A 5-ml sample of patient plasma, counted for the same time as the diluted standard sample, produces 99,100 counts.What is the plasma volume?

Accepted Answer

A) 10.8 liter 
B) 2.74 liter 
C) 1.73 liter 
D) 0.91 liter

Question 8

A radioactive source of 137Cs (t1/2= 30 y) was calibrated on October 23, 2000, to contain 10 $\mu$Ci.This is used as a daily accuracy check source in the dose calibrator.Presuming the dose calibrator is working properly, what activity should the dose calibrator show on April 23, 2006?

Accepted Answer

A) 9.6 $\mu$Ci 
B) 8.8 $\mu$Ci 
C) 5.4 $\mu$Ci 
D) 2.2 $\mu$Ci

Question 9

Convert 5 mBq to kBq and GBq.

Accepted Answer

A) 50 kBq and 0.5 GBq 
B) 500 kBq and 0.05 GBq 
C) 5000 kBq and 0.005 GBq 
D) 5 * 104 and 5 * 10-4 GBq

Question 10

What is the coefficient of variation of 40,000 counts?

Accepted Answer

A) 2% 
B) 1% 
C) 0.5% 
D) 0.25%

Question 11

The dose equivalent for occupational whole-body exposure is commonly limited to 50 mSv.How many rem is this?

Accepted Answer

A) 5000 rem 
B) 500 rem 
C) 50 rem 
D) 5 rem

Question 12

A nuclear medicine test produces a positive test result in only 80 of the 100 patients known to be ill.Similarly, the test produces a negative test result in only 190 of the 200 patients known to be not ill.Which is correct?

Accepted Answer

A) Sensitivity = 80%, specificity = 95%, accuracy = 90%, prevalence = 33% 
B) Sensitivity = 90%, specificity = 95%, accuracy = 90%, prevalence = 33% 
C) Sensitivity = 90%, specificity = 80%, accuracy = 90%, prevalence = 33% 
D) Sensitivity = 90%, specificity = 80%, accuracy = 70%, prevalence = 33%

Question 13

The linear attenuation coefficient in lead for 99mTc gamma rays (140 keV) is 23 cm-1.What percentage of these gamma rays will be absorbed by a lead apron that contains 0.60 mm of lead?

Accepted Answer

A) 75% 
B) 50% 
C) 25% 
D) 12.5%

Question 14

The morning elution of the 99Mo-99mTc generator yields 850 mCi of 99mTc radioactivity in 20 ml of saline eluate.What volume should be withdrawn from the eluate vial into a patient syringe to immediately perform a 25-mCi patient scan?

Accepted Answer

A) 0.2 ml 
B) 0.30 ml 
C) 0.59 ml 
D) 1.7 ml

Question 15

Readers are encouraged to use Microsoft Excel to solve this problem.What is the slope and intercept in the regression equation for problem 31? (board score) = intercept + (slope) * (exam score)

Accepted Answer

A) Intercept = 7.15, slope = 0.502 
B) Intercept = 6.15, slope = 0.602 
C) Intercept = 5.15, slope = 0.702 
D) Intercept = 4.15, slope = 0.802

Question 16

One radiologist is known to be a lax reader compared with another radiologist who is known to be a strict reader.In comparing these radiologists, how would one expect their sensitivity and specificity to compare?

Accepted Answer

A) The lax reader would have lower sensitivity and higher specificity. 
B) The lax reader would have higher sensitivity and lower specificity. 
C) The readers would be expected to have the same sensitivity and specificity. 
D) Not enough information is given to answer the question.

Question 17

Using Table 1-9 in the book, what is the P value for the linear correlation coefficient r in question 31?

Accepted Answer

A) P = 0.001 
B) 0.01  0.10

Question 18

If the HVL for some radionuclide in lead is 0.30 mm, what thickness of lead shielding is necessary to reduce the radiation exposure from 8 mR/hr to 1 mR/hr?

Accepted Answer

A) 0.30 mm 
B) 0.45 mm 
C) 0.60 mm 
D) 0.90 mm

Question 19

A patient may have had a kidney function test last month that showed a kidney clearance rate of 45 milliliters per minute (ml/min).The patient returns today and has a kidney clearance rate of 60 ml/min.What is the percent increase in kidney function?

Accepted Answer

A) 7% 
B) 14% 
C) 25% 
D) 33%

Question 20

One group of 20 patients is given a drug that is thought to have an effect on kidney function, and another group of 20 patients is given a placebo (i.e., sugar pill, which is known not to have an effect on kidney function).The nuclear medicine gamma camera is used to calculate the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in these two groups of patients.What would be the proper statistical test to use to test the hypothesis that no difference in GFR exists between these two groups of patients?

Accepted Answer

A) Chi-square test 
B) Paired t-test 
C) Independent t-test 
D) Linear regression analysis

Exam 1: Mathematics and Statistics

A sample shows a count rate of 36,000 cpm during a 3-minute counting period.Express this as the count rate ± standard deviation.

It is known that 75% of a radionuclide decays away in 12 hours.If starting with 10 mCi, how much will be left after 6 hours?

A thyroid uptake dose of 10 $\mu$ Ci is equal to how much radioactivity in SI units?

How many counts should be acquired into each pixel of a nuclear medicine flood image if it is desired to be 95% confident that the true count in each pixel is within 1% of the measured counts in each pixel?

What is the proper number of decimal places in the sum of (0.3) + (3.5264) ?

A 5-ml sample of a standard diluted 1:10,000 produces 27,200 counts in the well counter.A 5-ml sample of patient plasma, counted for the same time as the diluted standard sample, produces 99,100 counts.What is the plasma volume?

A radioactive source of ¹³⁷Cs (t_1/2= 30 y) was calibrated on October 23, 2000, to contain 10 $\mu$ Ci.This is used as a daily accuracy check source in the dose calibrator.Presuming the dose calibrator is working properly, what activity should the dose calibrator show on April 23, 2006?

Convert 5 mBq to kBq and GBq.

What is the coefficient of variation of 40,000 counts?

The dose equivalent for occupational whole-body exposure is commonly limited to 50 mSv.How many rem is this?

A nuclear medicine test produces a positive test result in only 80 of the 100 patients known to be ill.Similarly, the test produces a negative test result in only 190 of the 200 patients known to be not ill.Which is correct?

The linear attenuation coefficient in lead for ^99mTc gamma rays (140 keV) is 23 cm^-¹.What percentage of these gamma rays will be absorbed by a lead apron that contains 0.60 mm of lead?

The morning elution of the ⁹⁹Mo-^99mTc generator yields 850 mCi of ^99mTc radioactivity in 20 ml of saline eluate.What volume should be withdrawn from the eluate vial into a patient syringe to immediately perform a 25-mCi patient scan?

Readers are encouraged to use Microsoft Excel to solve this problem.What is the slope and intercept in the regression equation for problem 31? (board score) = intercept + (slope) * (exam score)

One radiologist is known to be a lax reader compared with another radiologist who is known to be a strict reader.In comparing these radiologists, how would one expect their sensitivity and specificity to compare?

Using Table 1-9 in the book, what is the P value for the linear correlation coefficient r in question 31?

If the HVL for some radionuclide in lead is 0.30 mm, what thickness of lead shielding is necessary to reduce the radiation exposure from 8 mR/hr to 1 mR/hr?

A patient may have had a kidney function test last month that showed a kidney clearance rate of 45 milliliters per minute (ml/min) .The patient returns today and has a kidney clearance rate of 60 ml/min.What is the percent increase in kidney function?

Exam 1: Mathematics and Statistics

A sample shows a count rate of 36,000 cpm during a 3-minute counting period.Express this as the count rate ± standard deviation.

It is known that 75% of a radionuclide decays away in 12 hours.If starting with 10 mCi, how much will be left after 6 hours?

A thyroid uptake dose of 10 μ\muμ Ci is equal to how much radioactivity in SI units?

How many counts should be acquired into each pixel of a nuclear medicine flood image if it is desired to be 95% confident that the true count in each pixel is within 1% of the measured counts in each pixel?

What is the proper number of decimal places in the sum of (0.3) + (3.5264) ?

A 5-ml sample of a standard diluted 1:10,000 produces 27,200 counts in the well counter.A 5-ml sample of patient plasma, counted for the same time as the diluted standard sample, produces 99,100 counts.What is the plasma volume?

A radioactive source of 137Cs (t1/2= 30 y) was calibrated on October 23, 2000, to contain 10 μ\muμ Ci.This is used as a daily accuracy check source in the dose calibrator.Presuming the dose calibrator is working properly, what activity should the dose calibrator show on April 23, 2006?

Convert 5 mBq to kBq and GBq.

What is the coefficient of variation of 40,000 counts?

The dose equivalent for occupational whole-body exposure is commonly limited to 50 mSv.How many rem is this?

A nuclear medicine test produces a positive test result in only 80 of the 100 patients known to be ill.Similarly, the test produces a negative test result in only 190 of the 200 patients known to be not ill.Which is correct?

The linear attenuation coefficient in lead for 99mTc gamma rays (140 keV) is 23 cm-1.What percentage of these gamma rays will be absorbed by a lead apron that contains 0.60 mm of lead?

The morning elution of the 99Mo-99mTc generator yields 850 mCi of 99mTc radioactivity in 20 ml of saline eluate.What volume should be withdrawn from the eluate vial into a patient syringe to immediately perform a 25-mCi patient scan?

Readers are encouraged to use Microsoft Excel to solve this problem.What is the slope and intercept in the regression equation for problem 31? (board score) = intercept + (slope) * (exam score)

One radiologist is known to be a lax reader compared with another radiologist who is known to be a strict reader.In comparing these radiologists, how would one expect their sensitivity and specificity to compare?

Using Table 1-9 in the book, what is the P value for the linear correlation coefficient r in question 31?

If the HVL for some radionuclide in lead is 0.30 mm, what thickness of lead shielding is necessary to reduce the radiation exposure from 8 mR/hr to 1 mR/hr?

A patient may have had a kidney function test last month that showed a kidney clearance rate of 45 milliliters per minute (ml/min) .The patient returns today and has a kidney clearance rate of 60 ml/min.What is the percent increase in kidney function?

A thyroid uptake dose of 10 $\mu$ Ci is equal to how much radioactivity in SI units?

A radioactive source of ¹³⁷Cs (t_1/2= 30 y) was calibrated on October 23, 2000, to contain 10 $\mu$ Ci.This is used as a daily accuracy check source in the dose calibrator.Presuming the dose calibrator is working properly, what activity should the dose calibrator show on April 23, 2006?

The linear attenuation coefficient in lead for ^99mTc gamma rays (140 keV) is 23 cm^-¹.What percentage of these gamma rays will be absorbed by a lead apron that contains 0.60 mm of lead?

The morning elution of the ⁹⁹Mo-^99mTc generator yields 850 mCi of ^99mTc radioactivity in 20 ml of saline eluate.What volume should be withdrawn from the eluate vial into a patient syringe to immediately perform a 25-mCi patient scan?