Nuclear Medicine Procedures and Preparation
| Exam | Duration | Diet and Preparation | Description of Study |
| Bone Scan | Injection - 15 minutes. Wait 2- 4 hours, & scan - 30 minutes | No diet restrictions. Not done same day as barium studies or CT with PO barium. | An isotope is injected into the vein and after a specified amount of time (usually 2-4 hours), pictures are taken of the affected area or whole body. Patient may leave between injection and scan. |
| Captopril Renal Scan | 2 hours | No ACE inhibitor medications for 48 hours before the scan. No other prep. | Used for diagnosis of Renal Artery Stenosis in patients with hypertension. An isotope is injected into the vein to determine the function of kidneys. An oral does of Captopril is given. No x-ray dye is used. |
| Cardiolite/Myoview Treadmill Stress Test | 3 - 4 hours | D/C Beta Blockers 1-2 days prior to study. NPO after midnight | Resting cardiac images are obtained 30 minutes after an IV injection of an isotope (Cardiolite/Myoview). An injection is given while the patient walks on the treadmill. Then, images are taken 45 minutes after the stress. |
| Gallium Scan (Tumor Localization) | 3 days | Patient receives a bowel prep from the radiology department to take on Day 2 | On Day 1, an isotope (gallium) is injected into the vein. Images are taken 48 hours after injection and 72 hours after injection. This study looks for tumors. |
| Gastric Emptying Study | 2 hours | NPO after midnight. | An isotope is prepared in a cooked egg beater. Patient eats egg, toast, and water. Then, pictures are taken for 90 minutes. |
| Hepatobiliary Scan (HIDA Scan) | 1 hour | NPO after midnight (or at least 6 hours before exam). No barium 24-48 hours before exam. | An isotope is injected into the vein and images are taken of the gallbladder and biliary tree. Delayed images may be made 2-4 hours later if indicated. |
| Hepatobiliary Scan with CCK | 1.5 hours | NPO after midnight (or at least 6 hours before exam). No barium 24-48 hours before exam. | An isotope is injected into the vein and images are taken of the biliary tree and gallbladder. After 1 hour pictures, an injection of CCK is given to cause gallbladder contraction. Pictures are taen an additional 20 minutes. |
| Lasix Renal Scan | 90 minutes | No special preparation for this exam. | An isotope is injected into the vein to see the distribution of radioactive material within the kidney structures. A lasix injection is given IV and additional films are taken. |
| MUGA Scan | 1 hour | No special diet/preparation. | Blood is drawn, an isotope is tagged to blood in lab, blood is reinjected and pictures of the heart are taken in 30 minutes. |
| Persantine Cardiolite/Myoview Stress Test | 3 - 4 hours | D/C Theophylline-based medications and caffeine for 24 hours before the test. NPO after midnight. | Resting cardiac images are obtained 30 minutes after an IV injection of an isotope (Cardiolite/Myoview). Stress testing is performed by the injection of IV medication without exercise. Images are taken 45 minutes after stress. |
| Renal Scan (kidney scan) | 45 minutes | No special diet/preparation. | An isotope is injected into the vein and images are made to check renal (kidney) function. This exam does not interfere with renal function. |
| Thyroid Uptake and Scan | Day 1 = 15 minutes Day 2 = 1 hour | D/C PTU x 1 week. D/C thyroid medication for 6 - 8 weeks. No x-ray dye 6 - 8 weeks before. | On Day 1, patient is given an oral capsule of I-131 and leaves. On Day 2, uptake scans are performed and then an isotope is injected into the vein. After 20 minutes, scan is performed. If ordered, do thyroid U/S on Day 2. |
NOTE: NPO - means nothing by mouth
Nuclear medicine studies should be performed at least 24 hours after any diagnostic procedure that involves barium.