Nuclear Medicine

• Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. If you are late, your appointment may be rescheduled.
• Bring a bag for your personal belongings during the exam.
• In some cases, it may be necessary to empty your bladder immediately before your exam.
• There are many types of nuclear medicine exams and the preparation varies with each one. It is important that you follow instructions given to you by your doctor or when you booked the appointment.
• If you wish to have a doctor other than your referring doctor copied on the results report, please let the receptionist know before your test.

• The length of your appointment will depend on what kind of nuclear medicine imaging you are having done, however it can range from 30 minutes to four hours.
• You cannot wear jewelry or other metal objects for the exam.
• Female patients from ages 10 to 55 will be asked if there is any chance of pregnancy or if currently nursing a baby.

• You can resume normal activity after the exam.
• Drink extra fluids and empty your bladder frequently until bedtime to minimize radiation exposure.
• A report will be sent to your doctor(s) within 10 days.

A bone scan is used to help diagnose problems with your bone metabolism (bone growth and reabsorption) and shows how your bone tissue is functioning.

A bone scan can help to show the effects of injury or disease (such as cancer) or infection in the bones.

There is no preparation for this exam.

At the appointment you will be injected with a small amount of a radioactive tracer into a vein in your arm or hand. Some initial pictures may be taken at this time.

You will be asked to return two hours to four hours later, after your bones have had time to absorb the tracer. During this waiting period, you will be asked to drink plenty of fluids and empty your bladder often.

When you return, you will be asked to empty your bladder and lie on a scanning bed while pictures are taken. This can take between 30 minutes to 60 minutes.

There are no known side effects from the test. You may resume normal activities afterwards.

A MUGA (multi-gated acquisition) scan shows how well your heart is pumping blood.

There is no preparation for this exam.

At the appointment you will be injected with a non-radioactive pharmaceutical in a vein in your arm or hand.

You will then wait 20 to 30 minutes before getting another injection of a small amount of a radioactive tracer in another vein.

The technologist will ask you to lie down on an imaging bed and place four ECG buttons on your chest, then attach the buttons to an ECG machine. Three pictures of your heart will be taken. This part of the procedure will last about 30 minutes.

There are no known side effects from the test. You may resume normal activities afterwards.

A parathyroid scan is used to detect problems with the parathyroid gland, which is located next to the thyroid and controls calcium metabolism in your body.

There is no preparation for this exam.

At the appointment you will lie on a bed while a small amount of radioactive trace is injected into a vein in your arm or hand. Some initial pictures will be taken at this time.

Ten minutes later, the technician will take more pictures. This part of the test will last about half an hour.

You will then wait for 30 minutes and then more pictures will be taken, which include a 3-D image and a low dose CT scan of your neck/chest.

Two hours after the injection, you will be taken back and more pictures will be taken. After that, you will receive another injection of a different radioactive tracer that localizes in the thyroid gland. This part takes about one 45 minutes. The whole test from start to finish can take up to four hours.

There are no known side effects from the test. You may resume normal activities afterwards.

A ventilation/perfusion lung scan shows the air and blood supply to your lungs. It is used to rule out pulmonary embolism, where blood clots that have formed elsewhere in the body (usually the legs) travel to the lungs.

There is no preparation for this test.

At the appointment, you will first be asked to breathe in a small amount of radioactive gas. This will show the air supply to your lungs. Immediately after, 3-D images of your lungs will be taken. This part of the test will last about 15 minutes.

Next, you will be injected with a small amount of a different radioactive tracer into a vein in your arm or hand. 3-D Images of your lungs will again be taken for about 15 minutes. These images will show the blood supply to your lungs. The entire test will take about 1 hour.

There are no known side effects from the test. You may resume normal activities afterwards.

A Carbon-14 urea breath test looks for bacteria in the stomach called Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori). These bacteria can cause stomach problems, including ulcers.

Do not eat or drink for six hours before your appointment. This includes water, candy and gum. If possible, take your medications after the test. You will need to stop taking certain medications for up to 30 days. Your doctor will give you instructions about what medications to stop taking.

You must brush your teeth at home with toothpaste just before you leave for your appointment.

At the appointment, you will drink a small amount of Carbon-14, which is a radioactive tracer, and rinse your mouth with water. Twelve minutes later you will blow into a vial until the blue solution turns clear. The entire test will take about 30 minutes.

There are no known side effects from the test. You may resume normal activities afterwards.

A gastric emptying time (GET) study is done to measure the speed at which solid food leaves the stomach.

Do not eat or drink for six hours before your appointment. If possible, take your medications after the test. You will need to stop taking certain medications. Your doctor will give you instructions about what medications to stop taking.

At the test, you will eat an egg sandwich contacting a small amount of radioactive tracer. A technologist will take several one-minute images over a period of four hours. Between images, you will be free to move around but not allowed to eat or drink. The entire test will take about four hours.

There are no known side effects from the test. You may resume normal activities afterwards.

Myocardial perfusion (Cardiolite®) shows how well your heart muscle is pumping and how well blood is flowing through your heart. It may be useful in diagnosing coronary artery disease.

Do not eat or drink anything with caffeine for 24 hours (one day) before the test. Caffeine can be found in some types of coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, sports drinks and foods. You may have a light breakfast or drink (for example, orange juice) three to four hours before the test.

Some medications may interfere with the accuracy and effectiveness of the test. Your doctor will tell you whether or not you need to stop taking your medications. Bring a list of all medicines you are taking, or bring the pill bottles. Wear or bring comfortable, loose-fitting clothes and walking shoes.

There are two parts to this test, a rest portion and a stress portion.

For the rest portion, you will get an injection of a radioactive tracer (Cardiolite®) in a vein in your arm or hand. You will wait approximately one hour in the waiting room. During this time you will be asked to drink three to four cups of water. You can empty your bladder as needed.

Next, you will change into a gown. An IV will be put in a vein in your arm or hand and ECG buttons will be placed on your chest. A technologist will take you to the imaging room where you will lie down on an imaging bed. The technologist will attach ECG wires and take pictures of your heart for 20 minutes, which will include a low dose CT scan of your heart.

For the stress portion of the test, your doctor will either have scheduled you for an exercise stress test on a treadmill or a Persantine stress test, which uses medication to stress your heart.

During this time, caregivers will watch your ECG and blood pressure. You will get a second injection of a radioactive tracer (Cardiolite®) through your IV. After 30 to 60 minutes, a technologist will call you back into the imaging room and a second scan of your heart will be taken for 20 minutes, which will include a low dose CT scan of your heart. The entire test will take about four to five hours.

There are no known side effects from the test. You may resume normal activities afterwards.