Adverse reactions to positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals

Radiopharmaceuticals are medicinal products used for the diagnosis or treatment in nuclear medicine, consisting of a radioactive compound and generally a targeting pharmaceutical compound. Adverse drug reactions defined as harmful and unexpected responses that occur when administered at normal doses, have less severity and less incidence with radiopharmaceuticals than with conventional drugs. Though adverse reactions observed with positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals are lesser and milder than both conventional drugs and other radiopharmaceuticals such as therapeutic and SPECT radiopharmaceuticals, adverse reactions that cannot be ignored still occur. Therefore, this review aims to raise awareness about adverse reactions observed in positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals.