Nuclear Medicine Procedures Examination Time & Patient Preparation

WB Bone Scan

• Examination Time: Injection 15-30 min., 3 Hour Delay 45 min.

1. Triple (Three) Phase Bone Scan: Injection and scan 30 min., 3 Hour Delay 45-60 min.

            2. Spect Imaging: Injection 15-30 min., 3 Hour Delay 60 min.

• Patient Prep: None.

Hepatobiliary Scan  (HIDA, DISIDA)

• Examination Time: 2 hours
• Patient Preparation :

• NPO (nothing by mouth) for 6 hours prior to study

• No opiates 6 hours prior to study.

Examples: Raw Opium, Codeine, Morphine, Heroin, Hydromorphone(Dilaudid), Oxycodone (Percodan) (Percocet), Oxymorphone (Numorphan), Hydrocodone (Vicodin) (Lortab) (Lorcet), Meperidine (Demerol), Fentanyl, Methadone (Dolophine), Darvon, Darvocet, Oxycontin, Talwin, and Demerol.

Thyroid Uptake and Scan

• Examination Time: Administration of Capsule 20-30 min. 24 Hour Delay Uptake and Scan 45-60 min.
• Patient Prep:

• Patient must discontinue thyroid hormones for 2-3 weeks.
                  Examples:  
                  Levothroid, Synthroid, Levoxyl, Cytomel, Euthroid, Thyrolar.

• Patient must discontinue antithyroid medicications for 1 week.
                  Examples: Propythiouracil (PTU) Methimazole (Tapazole).

• Patient must discontinue amiodarone (beta blocker) Please call NM at ext. 4952 to notify before scheduling.

• Patient must not have had intravenous or intrathecal iodinated contrast material
                  (IVP, CT with contrast, myelogram, and angiogram) for at least 6 weeks.

• Patient must discontinue expectorants and vitamins (only vitamins that contain iodine) for 2 weeks.

• No antihistamines, antiphrastic, and penicillin’s for 1 week.

• No topical iodides for 1-9 months.

Parathyroid Scan

• Examination Time: Injection and Scan 45-60 min. 3 Hour Delay 45-60 min.
• Patient Prep: None.

Renal Scan

• Examination Time: Injection and scan 45-60 min.

1.      Lasix (furosemide) Renal 45-60 min.

2.      Vasotec (Enalaprilat) Renal 60 min.

• Patient Prep:

• Patient should be well hydrated. Encourage patient to drink 32 ounces of water prior to scan.

• Discontinue use of ACE inhibitors, Antagonist II, and diuretics for 48 hour prior to any type renal scan. (see list) Examples: benazepril hydrocholoride (Lotensin, Lotrel) capotopril (Capoten), enalapril maleate (Lexxel, Teczem, Vaseretic, Vasotec) fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Prinizide, Zestril, Zestoretic), moexipril hydrochloride (Uniretic, Univasc), quinapril hydrochloride (Accupril), ramiril (Altace), trandolapril (Mavik, Tarka), amlodipine (Norvasc) bepridil (Vascor) diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor) felodipine (Plendil) isradipine (DynaCirc) nicardipine (Cardene) nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia) nimodipine (Nimotop) verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan)

Muga (Cardiac Gated Blood Pool Study) Scan

• Examination Time: 60 min.
• Patient Prep: None.

Gastric Emptying Study

• Examination Time: 2 hours.
• Patient Prep: NPO from midnight.

Lung (VQ) Scan

• Examination Time: 1 hour
• Patient Prep: None.

Liver/Spleen Study

• Examination Time: 1 hour.
• Patient Prep: None.

Liver SPECT (Hepatic Hemangioma)

• Examination Time: 1^st scan: 1 hour for tagging RBC’s and scan.

2^nd scan: 30-45 min.

• Patient Prep: (Be sure to bring a copy of recent CT scan that identifies the location of lesion in question.)

*Adding on exams after 1 pm for the next day please call ext. 4952 so that I can make sure to order dose for following day. Orders for the Radioisotopes have to be placed to the Radiopharmacy before 2 pm for the following day.