What is the difference between nuclear medicine radiation and ct/x-ray? is it true that the only radiation you receive in nuclear medicine is the radioactive tracer that is administered into your vein? if so, does this radiation not accumulate as ct/x ray

It : It is true that the radioactive tracer is injected into your body so the the gamma rays are coming out of your body as the tracer is decaying away. With x-rays (including ct), the radiation is coming from outside of your body, going through your body and being detected like a shadow on the other side of your body. Some of the energy is absorbed on the way through your body. This is the energy which causes damage. The energy is only going through your body when the x-ray tube in the device is on. In nuclear medicine, the energy is being absorbed on the way out of your body. The energy is being produced inside your body for a much longer time than x-ray or ct although the amount of energy per second is much lower. Smart people from the department of energy have done calculations which can compare the amount of energy received from a nuclear medicine bone scan vs a ct scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis for example which are available in tables. See http://www.Physics.Isu.Edu/radinf/risk.Htm to completely answer your question, a gamma ray from nuclear medicine is almost identical to an x-ray made by a ct scanner although my friends in physics will not be completely happy with my answer.

Both radiation: Nuclear medicine radiation is given internally via IV injection, ingestion, or inhalation for determination of function of organs of body. Isotopes have different half lives and decay at different rates.Ct/xray is external radiation for visualization of anatiomy and pathology. Both contribute to radiation dose. Both are ionizing radiation. Ultrasound and MRI do not involve irradiation.

Yes.: In nuclear medicine a radioactive "tracer" (e.g. Technetium) is injected into a vein and the gamma rays are emitted from the body and detected by a gamma camera placed against the body to create an image. The radioactivity decays over time and is also excreted from the body. With ct, the x-rays are passed through the body from an xray tube to create an image and do not reside in the body.