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Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear Medicine is a specialized area of radiology that uses a very small amount of radioactive materials, also called radiopharmaceuticalsor isotopes to examine organ function and structure.

General Nuclear Medicine Procedures offered:

Things to remember:

  1. The isotopes used for nuclear medicine procedures are special ordered and are very expensive. If you need to reschedule or cancel your procedure, it needs to be done 24 hours before your scheduled appointment.
  2. You will get a copy of the orders and the prep if applicable.

Bone Scans

A Bone Scan is a nuclear medicine procedure using an imaging agent that allows for detection of abnormalbone metabolism in the skeleton due to fractures, tumors, infection, and other bone diseases.

  • 3 Phase Bone Scan is primarily used to evaluate suspected bone infections.
  • Whole Body Bone Scan is generally performed to evaluate skeletal pain or possible tumor spread to the bones.
  • Whole Body Bone Scan w/ SPECT allows for enhanced image clarity of a specific area of concern.

Patient Preparation: 
There is no prep prior to a Bone scan. You can eat, drink and take medications.
Allow 20-30 minutes for the injection and allow 45-60 minutes for the scan portion of the study.

Gastric Emptying Study

A gastric emptying study is a nuclear medicine procedure using an imaging agent that measures the speedwith which food empties from the stomach and enters the small intestine.

Patient Preparation

  1. NPO (Nothing to eat or drink) 6 hours prior to exam.
  2. Discontinue sedatives or narcotics 12 hours before examination.
  3. Hold Reglan the day of the procedure.

Procedure

  1. You will be given grits or oatmeal to eat with the radioisotope in it. .
  2. Images will be obtained for 90 minutes after the ingestion of food. .
  3. Allow 2 hours for the procedure. .

Hepatobiliary Scan (Hida, Disida) With or Without EF (Ejection Fraction)

Hida scan is a nuclear medicine procedure using an imaging agent to evaluate the function of the liver,biliary tree, gallbladder and bile ducts for possible obstruction. The biliary scan may also be usedto evaluate suspected abnormal contraction of the gallbladder.

Patient Preparation

  1. NPO (nothing to eat or drink) for 6 hours prior to study.
  2. No opiates 4-6 hours prior to scan. 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.

Allow 90 minutes for the appointment.

Hida Scan w\EF 
Allow 2 hours for the appointment.

Liver SPECT (Hepatic Hemangioma)

A liver SPECT study is a nuclear medicine procedure using an imaging agent (radioisotope) that depictsthe amount of perfusion and vascular space within hepatic lesions

Patient Preparation:

  1. You must have a CT, MRI, or US prior to exam.You can eat, drink and take medications.

Allow 1 hour for the appointment with possible return in 2 hours for 30 minutes.

Liver/Spleen Scan

Liver and spleen imaging is used to diagnose various conditions of the liver and spleen such as overallorgan size, the presence of focal lesions, and/or the degree of hepatocellular dysfunction in diffuseliver disease. A nuclear scan may also be used to assess organ function and blood circulation.

Patient Preparation: There is no prep prior to a Liver/Spleen scan. You can eat, drink and take  medications.

Allow 1 hour for the appointment.

Lung (VQ) Scans

Lung Scan Perfusion study is a nuclear medicine procedure using an imaging agent that enablesimaging of the distribution of blood supply to the lungs.

A Lung Scan Ventilation study is a nuclear medicine procedure using an imaging agent that enablesimaging measurement of the exchange of air within the lungs.

*A Pulmonary Quantitative study enables unilateral or regional pulmonary function to be quantitated.

Patient Preparation:

  1. Obtain a recent chest x-ray within 24 hours.
  2. You can eat, drink and take medications.

Procedure:
Lung Scan (Ventilation and Perfusion (VQ)): 
Allow 60 minutes for the procedure.

Muga Scan

A MUGA (Multi Gated Acquisition Scan) is a non-invasive nuclear medicine procedure to evaluate the functionof the heart. It provides a moving image of the beating heart, and allows important features to be determinedabout the health of the cardiac ventricles.

Patient Preparation: There is no prep prior to a MUGA scan. You can eat, drink and take medications.

Allow 1 hour for the appointment.

Parathyroid Scan

A Parathyroid Scan is a non-invasive procedure that uses an imaging agent to obtain an image of highlyactive areas of the parathyroid glands.

Patient Preparation There is no prep for a Parathyroid Scan. You can eat, drink and take medications.

Allow 1 hour for the first part of the study and allow 30 minutes for the second part of the study

Renal Scans

A kidney (Renal) scan is a specialized nuclear medicine procedure used to assess the function and structureof the kidneys, as well as the perfusion (blood flow) to the kidney tissue. Physicians can assess anddiagnose various conditions, such as tumors, abscesses, hematomas, organ enlargement, or cysts. A nuclearscan may also be used to assess organ function and blood circulation.

  • Renal Scan: Used to assess the function and structure of the kidneys
  • Vasotec\Captopril Renal Scan: Used to evaluate renal artery stenosis and hypertension
  • Renal Scan with Lasix: Used to evaluate renal obstruction.

Patient Preparation:

  • You should be well hydrated. Please 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)

Renal Scan:
Allow 45-60 minutes for the appointment.

Vasotec\Captopril Renal Scan: 
Allow 60 minutes for the appointment.

Renal Scan with Lasix: 
Allow 45-60 minutes for the appointment.

Thyroid Uptake and Scan

A Thyroid Uptake and Scan uses a radioactive tracer to evaluate the function and structure of the thyroidgland. A thyroid scan can show the size, shape, and location of the thyroid gland. It can also find areasof the thyroid gland that are overactive or underactive.

Patient Preparation

  1. You must discontinue thyroid hormones for 2-3 weeks. Examples: Levothroid, Synthroid, Levoxyl, Cytomel, Euthroid, Thyrolar.
  2. You must discontinue antithyroid medicications for 1 week. Examples: Propythiouracil (PTU) Methimazole (Tapazole).
  3. You must discontinue amiodarone 3-6 months prior to the test.
  4. You must not have had intravenous or intrathecal iodinated contrast material (IVP, CT with contrast, myelogram, and angiogram) for at least 6 weeks.
  5. You must discontinue expectorants and vitamins (only vitamins that contain iodine) for 2 weeks.
  6. No antihistamines, antiphrastic, and penicillin for 1 week.
  7. No topical iodide for 1-9 months.
  8. Refrain from eating foods containing iodine such as cabbage, turnip greens, soybeans, seafood, kelp, and large amounts of table salt for 24 hours before the test.

Procedure:
Day 1

  1. You will be given a pill form by mouth with water.
  2. Allow 15-20 minutes for the appointment.

Day 2

  1. Allow 30-40 minutes for the appointment.

If you live in Gainesville or the North Georgia area and are in search of professional medical care such as nuclear medicine and the related procedures we offer, please contact us today.

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