Mississippi Administrative Code
Title 15 - Mississippi Department of Health
Part 8 - Office of Health Policy and Planning
Subpart 90 - Planning and Resource Development
Chapter 05 - Acute Care Facilities and Services Overview
Section 15-8-90-05-512 - Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a minimally invasive imaging procedure in which positron-emitting radionuclides, produced either by a cyclotron or by a radio-pharmaceutical producing generator, and a gamma camera are used to create pictures of organ function rather than structure. PET scans provide physicians a crucial assessment of the ability of specific tissues to function normally.
PET can provide unique clinical information in an economically viable manner, resulting in a diagnostic accuracy that affects patient management. PET scans provide diagnostic and prognostic patient information regarding cognitive disorders; for example, identifying the differences between Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, dementia, depression, cerebral disorders, and mild memory loss. PET scans also provide information regarding psychiatric disease, brain tumors, epilepsy, cardiovascular disease, movement disorders, and ataxia. Research shows that clinical PET may obviate the need for other imaging procedures.
PET installations generally take one of two forms: a scanner using only generator-produced tracers (basic PET unit) or a scanner with a cyclotron (enhanced PET unit). The rubidium-82 is the only generator approved by the FDA to produce radiopharmaceuticals. Rubidium limits PET services to cardiac perfusion imaging.
A PET scanner supported by a cyclotron can provide the capabilities for imaging a broader range of PET services, such as oncology, neurology, and cardiology. Manufacturers of PET equipment are providing more user-friendly cyclotrons, radiopharmaceutical delivery systems, and scanners which have drastically reduced personnel and maintenance requirements. These changes have made the cost of PET studies comparable to those of other high-technology studies.
Cardiology Associates of North Mississippi located in Tupelo, Mississippi (Lee County) has a fixed PET unit and performs Cardiac/PET procedures (pet scans/imaging of the heart). For FY 2020, Cardiology Associates of North Mississippi performed 1,170 procedures.
Table 5-7 presents the location, type (fixed or mobile), and utilization of PET equipment throughout the state in 2020.
Table 5-7
Location and Number of PET Procedures by Service Area FY 2020
Source: Applications for Renewal of Hospital License for FY 2020 Annual Hospital Report and MSDH, Office of Health Planning and Resource Development Surveys
