SNMMI/EANM/ASNC/ACNM Procedure Standard/Practice Guideline for ¹⁸F-Flurpiridaz PET Myocardial Perfusion Imaging and Blood Flow Quantitation

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), founded in 1954 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, USA, is a nonprofit scientific and professional organization that promotes the science, technology, and practical application of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. SNMMI strives to be a leader in unifying, advancing, and optimizing molecular imaging with the ultimate goal of improving human health. With 13,000 members worldwide, SNMMI represents nuclear and molecular imaging professionals, all of whom are committed to the advancement of the field. The European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) is a professional, nonprofit medical association that facilitates communication worldwide between individuals pursuing clinical and research excellence in nuclear medicine. The EANM was founded in 1985. The American College of Nuclear Medicine (ACNM) is a professional organization providing education, training, and advocacy for the most sought-after and trusted experts in nuclear medicine who deliver state-of-the-art and innovative care and service to patients and referring physicians. The ACNM's mission is to foster the highest standards in nuclear medicine consultation and service to referring physicians, hospitals, and the public, and to advance the science of nuclear medicine through a program of continuing professional development emphasizing high standards of nuclear medicine practice. The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) is the international home for nuclear cardiology and the largest professional society devoted exclusively to the field. ASNC membership includes more than 5700 nuclear cardiology professionals from around the world. Founded in 1993, ASNC's mission is to improve cardiovascular outcomes through image-guided patient management. ASNC's official publication is the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology. The SNMMI/EANM/ACNM will periodically define new standards/guidelines for nuclear medicine practice to help advance the science of nuclear medicine and to improve the quality of service to patients. Existing standards/guidelines will be reviewed for revision or renewal, as appropriate, on their fifth anniversary or sooner, if indicated. Each standard/guideline, representing a policy statement by the SNMMI/EANM/ACNM, has undergone a thorough consensus process in which it has been subjected to extensive review. The SNMMI, EANM, and ACNM recognize that the safe and effective use of diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging and therapy requires specific training, skills, and techniques, as described in each document. This document was jointly developed with ASNC. ASNC endorses this guideline, and it will be published alongside the Journal of Nuclear Medicine in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology. The SNMMI, EANM, ASNC, and ACNM have written and approved these standards/guidelines to promote the use of high-quality nuclear medicine procedures. These standards/guidelines are intended to assist practitioners in providing appropriate care for patients. They are not inflexible rules or requirements of practice and are not intended, nor should they be used, to establish a legal standard of care. For these reasons and those set forth below, the SNMMI, EANM, ASNC, andACNM caution against the use of these standards/guidelines in litigation in which the clinical decisions of a practitioner are called into question. The ultimate judgment regarding the propriety of any specific procedure or course of action must be made by medical professionals considering the unique circumstances of each case. Thus, there is no implication that an approach differing from the standards/guidelines, standing alone, is below the standard of care. To the contrary, a conscientious practitioner may responsibly adopt a course of action different from that set forth in the standards/guidelines when, in the reasonable judgment of the practitioner, such a course of action is indicated by the condition of the patient, limitations of available resources, or advances in knowledge or technology subsequent to publication of the standards/guidelines. The practice of medicine involves not only the science but also the art of dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, alleviation, and treatment of disease. The variety and complexity of human conditions make it impossible to always reach the most appropriate diagnosis or to predict with certainty a particular response to treatment. Therefore, it should be recognized that adherence to these standards/guidelines will not ensure an accurate diagnosis or a successful outcome. All that should be expected is that the practitioner will follow a reasonable course of action based on current knowledge, available resources, and the needs of the patient to deliver effective and safe medical care. The sole purpose of these standards/guidelines is to assist practitioners in achieving this objective. Quality control and improvement, safety, infection control, and patient education concerns See the SNMMI Guideline for General Imaging. Policies and procedures related to quality, patient education, infection control, and safety should be developed and implemented in accordance with good quality control practices. Quality control should also be done regularly to assure consistent, accurate physician interpretation of results. Equipment performance monitoring should be in accordance with a recognized accrediting organization. Documentation/reporting See the SNMMI Guideline for General Imaging for documentation/reporting requirements. Radiation safety in imaging See the SNMMI Guideline for General Imaging. It is the position of SNMMI that patient exposure to ionizing radiation should be at the minimum level consistent with obtaining a diagnostic examination. Reduction in patient radiation exposure may be accomplished by administering less radiopharmaceutical when the technique or equipment used for imaging can support such an action. Each patient procedure is unique and the methodology to achieve minimum exposure while maintaining diagnostic accuracy needs to be viewed in this light. Radiopharmaceutical activity ranges outlined in this document should be considered as a guide. Dose-reduction techniques should be utilized when appropriate. The same principles should be applied when CT is used in a hybrid imaging procedure. CT acquisition protocols should be optimized to provide the information needed while minimizing patient radiation exposure. Minimizing radiation dose is especially important in children. The breastfeeding patient See the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI) guidelines.