Presbyterian Healthcare 
Nuclear Medicine
| Nuclear medicine tests use a small amount of radioactive material to see the size, shape and function of organs. It can be used to identify and treat disease. A trained technologist will perform the test. He or she explains the test to you. The test includes an injection in a vein or a tablet or a very small amount of radioactive material. |
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You will receive about the same amount of radiation as x-rays or cat scans. The radiation disapperas quickly. This means the radiation exposure to you and others is very low.
Side Effects
Side effects to nuclear medicine tests are rare. If you have any questions, please ask the technologist before the exam begins.
Special Notes
Tell the technologist if you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant, or are a nursing mother. In these cases, this test may not be recommended for you at this time.
Bone Scans
- No preperation is needed.
- IV injection of a radioactive material (isotope) is given.
- Scanning is done three to four hours after injection.
- During the three-four hour delay, drink several glasses of liquid. Urinate often.
- Scanning time is about 40 to 60 minutes.
Gallium Scanning
- Requires four to 72 hours for completion.
- After the initial scan you may be asked to take a special bowel prep prior to the next scanning procedure.
- Scanning time is about 60 to 90 minutes.
Gastric Emptying
- You may not eat or drink prior to your study.
- You are given a meal of eggs mixed with a radioactive material.
- The radioactive material is followed for about 120 minutes as your stomach empties.
- Your procedure time is about two hours.
Gated Heart Scans (MUGA)
- No preperation is needed.
- A small volume blood is drawn and tagged to a radioactive material.
- The radioactive material is then injected back into you.
- Scanning is done immediately after injection.
- This procedure is useful in telling us how well the left side of your heart is pumping.
- Your doctor may request that your scan be done while you are performing different levels of exercise.
Liver and Gallbladder Imaging
- You may not eat or drink at least four to six hours prior to study, but not longer than 24 hours.
- IV injection of a radioactive material is given.
- Images will be obtained for one hour after injection.
- You may need a second injection of radioactive material to measure how your gallbladder can contract.
- Scanning time is about 60 to 120 minutes.
Indium III Labeled Whilte Blood Cell Scans
- Requires 24 to 72 hours for completion.
- A small amount of blood is drawn and tagged to a radioactive material.
- About four hours after your blood is drawn the radioactive material is injected back into you.
- Scanning is done 24 hours after injection.
- After the initial scan you may be asked to take a special bowel prep prior to the next scanning procedure.
- Scanning tiem is about 60 to 90 minutes.
Liver/Spleen Scans
- No preperation is needed.
- IV injection of a radioactive material is given.
- Scanning will start about 20 minutes after injection.
- This scan is useful for the evaluation of the liver and spleen size, shape, position and function.
Lung Scans (breathing)
- No preperation is needed.
- You will breathe a radioactive gas for four to six minutes through a breathing machine.
- Images are obtained during this breathing period.
- Procedure time is about 10 minutes.
- You may be required to get a chest x-ray along with this procedure.
- This is done with a Lung Perfusion Scan.
Lung Scans (circulation)
- No preperation is needed.
- IV injection of a radioactive material is given.
- Scan time is about 20 minutes.
- You may be required to get a chest x-ray along with this procedure.
- This is done with a Lung Ventilation Scan.
Meckel's Diverticulum Scans
- Do not eat or drink at least four hours before your test.
- IV injection of a radioactive material is given.
- Scanning is done immediately after injection.
- Scan time is about 30 to 60 minutes.
Kidney Scans
- IV injection of a readioactive material is given.
- Scanning is done immediately after injection.
- You should drink several glasses of liquid before the procedure.
- If your doctor is requesting a scan using blood pressure medicines, you may be required to stop certain types of medication and not eat four hours before the scan.
- Scanning time is about 45 minutes. (Two to three hours for blood pressure medicine scans.)
Thyroid Scans
- No preperation is needed.
- IV injection of a radioactive material is given 20-30 minutes before scanning.
- You will need to stop taking thyroid medications (such as Synthyroid or Cytomel) for the test. Please talk about this with your doctor.
- If you have had a recent x-ray using a dye (like a CT scan), tell the technologist.
- Scanning time is about 30 minutes.
Thyroid Uptake
- Do not drink at least four hours prior to your test.
- You will be asked to take a small amount of radioactive material.
- This radioactive material will go to your thyroid gland.
- You may not eat or drink for at least one hour after taking the radioactive capsule.
- You will be required to return to the nuclear medicine department 24 hours after taking the capsule.
- At that time, the study will take about 15 minutes.
- You need to stop taking thyroid medications (such as Synthyroid or Cytomel) for the test. Please talk about this with your doctor.
- If you have had a recent x-ray using a dye (like at CT scan), tell the technologist.
Thyroid Metastatic Scans
- Do not eat or drink for at least four hours before your test.
- You will be asked to take a small amount of radioactive material. This radioactive material will go to your thyroid tissue.
- You may not eat or drink for at least one hour after taking the radioactive material.
- You will be scanned 48 hours after taking the capsule.
- This procedure may require from 48 to 96 hours for completion.
- You need to stop taking thyroid medications (such as Synthyroid or Cytomel) for the test. Please talk about this with your doctor.
- If you have had a recent x-ray using a dye (like a CT scan), tell the technologist.
- Scanning time is about 60 minutes.
VCUG
- No preperation is needed.
- You bladder is filled with a radioactive material and saline via a foley catheter.
- Images are obtained with a full bladder, voiding, and after voiding.
- Scanning time is about 45 mintues.
