General Nuclear Medicine:
Preparing for Your Exam
Some nuclear medicine exams require you to prepare for your exam. Below
is a list of the most common exams and their preps. The physician's office
that booked the exam for you will supply you with the preparation
information for your exam.
Bone Scan
- No special preparation is required for a bone scan before you arrive
in the department, but you will need to drink 3 to 4 glasses of fluids
after you receive your injection.
Hida Scan
- Do not eat or drink anything for 4 hours before your appointment
time.
Thyroid Scan
- You may be asked to discontinue any thyroid medications that you may
be on. The length of time that you need to be off them depends on the
type of medication that you are taking. If you have any questions, you
may call nuclear medicine at 401-793-4450.
- If you have had an exam in which an iodine-based intravenous
contrast dye was used, you must wait 6 weeks before a nuclear medicine
thyroid scan can be performed.
- Do not eat shellfish for 1 week prior to your exam.
- Do not have any iodized salt for 1 week before your exam.
- Do not have any vitamins containing iodine for 1 week before your
exam.
Renal Scan (Kidney)
- Come into the department well hydrated. Drink 2 to 3 glasses of
water before your test.
Gastric Emptying
- Do not eat or drink anything from midnight on the night before your exam.
White Blood Cell Imaging
- There is no special preparation for this exam.
Lymphoscintigraphy Scan
- There is no special preparation for this exam.
Lung Scan
- There is no special preparation for this exam.
For more information about general
nuclear medicine at The Miriam Hospital, call 401-793-4450 or
e-mail MLCampbe@Lifespan.org. Back
| General nuclear medicine
|
