FAQs:
What is a Nuclear Cardiology Scan?
This is a test used to determine if your heart muscle is getting the blood supply it needs. The test also helps find out how well your heart is working .A small amount of a radioactive material will be injected into your blood. A special camera is then used to take pictures of your heart.
Although it is a radioactive material, it is safely cleared from your body by natural processes. You will be exposed to the same amount of radiation as in a simple X-ray or CAT (CTO) scan. Millions of nuclear medicine procedures are safely performed each year.
Why Do I need this Test?
This test will give your doctor information about how your heart is functioning. Your heart receives life-giving blood from vessels called coronary arteries. If these arteries become blocked or narrowed by the buildup of fatty material (lipids), your heart may not receive the blood it needs to function properly. This narrowing of the coronary arteries is called coronary atherosclerosis, or more commonly, coronary artery disease (CAD).
How does The Test Work?
Several small pads called electrodes will be placed on your chest. These pads will be connected to an electrocardiograph (ECG) monitor so that your heart rhythm can be watched closely throughout the stress portion of the test. An intravenous (IV) line will be placed in your arm. This will be used to inject the radioactive material into your bloodstream. The IV line will be remoed soon after the test is complete.
The test usually consists of taking pictures of your heart in two phases: one set of picture is of your heart at rest and one set is of your heart after stress.
The radioactive material will be injected while you rest and the special camera will then take pictures of your heart. Then, the radioactive material will be injected during stress, which is usually while you are on a treadmill and then pictures will again be taken of your heart. If you are unable to exercise on a treadmill, you may be given a drug, by injection, intended to have a similar effect on the heart to that of exercise.
These two sets of pictures allow the doctor to compare the amount of blood flowing through your heart muscle during rest and under stress.
The day of the test, you will be informed if the exercise or rest portion of the study will be done first. The entire exam will take 4-5 hours to complete.
Nuclear Medicine Frequently Asked Questions
Home • Services • Equipment • Locations • Patients • Physician Education • About Us • Contact Us • Employee Resources
©2009-12 American Health Centers Inc., All Rights Reserved. • 100 Griffin Road • Suite C • Portsmouth, NH 03801 • Ph: 1.800.999.9154 • Fax: 603.488.6107 • Privacy Policy • design by docWebTRC
Bone Scan
What is it?
A bone scan, also called bone scintigraphy, provides your doctor with a functional image of your bones. That means the image shows how the cells are performing-whether normally or abnormally, and to what degree. This is how it works:
A bone scan, also called bone scintigraphy, provides your doctor with a functional image of your bones. That means the image shows how the cells are performing-whether normally or abnormally, and to what degree. This is how it works:
 |
The technologist injects a radiotracer into a vein.?A radiotracer is a compound made of a radioactive isotope and a pharmaceutical agent. In the radiotracer used for a bone scan, the pharmaceutical part acts like calcium in your body-it is attracted to your bones. |
|
The bones absorb the radiotracer the way they absorb calcium. |
|
The radioactive isotope releases energy, and our nuclear medicine camera creates an image from it. |
|
The image shows any area where too much or too little of the radiotracer has been absorbed, indicating irregular function of the cells. |
What is it for?
A bone scan can be used to detect arthritis, infection (cellulitis or osteomyelitis), tumors, fractures that are difficult to see on a standard x-ray, and evidence of prior trauma such as an old sports injuries. A bone scan may also be used to evaluate unexplained bone pain, malignancies of the breast, thyroid, lung, and prostate. Your doctor will determine if a bone scan is necessary.
How will the exam be scheduled?
Your doctor will schedule the examination. When the exam is scheduled, your doctor must send a written order detailing the type of exam you should receive and the region of interest. You should also request a copy of this written order, and you should bring it with you to your appointment. When your examination is scheduled, your doctor will be told the time for your injection, the time for imaging, and the expected length of time for the complete examination.
How should I prepare for the examination?
There is no special preparation for a bone scan. The radiotracers are not known to cause any side effects or adverse interactions with food or prescription drugs. You should continue to take your prescribed medications.
If you are scheduled to have another examination on the same day as your bone scan, you should follow any preparations recommended for that study.
Because x-ray films can be helpful in making a diagnosis, we may also ask you to have x-rays taken on the day of your bone scan appointment.
What happens during the examination?
Prior to receiving her injection, any woman between the ages of 12 and 56 will be asked if she might be pregnant. If you think you might be pregnant, you should talk to your doctor about it before having a nuclear medicine examination.
A technologist will administer the appropriate dose of radiotracer which is typically a simple injection in your arm. If your doctor has ordered the exam because you might have an infection of the bone or a particular type of fracture, images may be taken during the injection of the radiotracer. For most studies, however, you will simply be asked to wait for two to four hours before any images are taken. While you wait, you will be asked to drink at least four 8-oz. servings of liquid-any beverage is fine. You should also try to urinate frequently to help eliminate any excess tracer from your body. You may spend the time in our waiting room, but you may also leave the hospital and return at the scheduled time for imaging.
After the tracer has been absorbed, you will return to the lab for imaging. The technologist will ask you to lie on your back on a bed attached to the camera. Once you are comfortable on the bed, the imaging will begin. The bed will slide, and the camera will pass above and below you from your head to your feet. The camera moves up and down, following the contours of your body. They will come quite close to you. If you are severely claustrophobic, you may ask your doctor for an appropriate prescription to help you relax. The imaging portion of the examination typically lasts 30 minutes to 1 hour. If necessary (for example, if you need a restroom break), imaging can be interrupted. It is important, however, that you remain still while the camera is on-movement can ruin the images, and the nuclear medicine physician may have difficulty interpreting them accurately.
After the scan is complete, you will be able to resume normal daily activities. There will be no restrictions on eating or drinking. The radiotracers do not cause drowsiness, so you will be able to drive.
How will I receive the results?
A Radiologist will review and interpret the images obtained during your study. The results of your bone scan will be provided to your doctor typically within 48 hours.
Are there any side effects?
Most people do not experience any side effects from the radiotracer.
Is the radiation dangerous?
Nuclear medicine examinations do involve the use of a small amount of radiation. The tracer dose is calculated to minimize radiation exposure while providing accurate test results.
Nuclear medicine studies may not be appropriate for pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding. If you think you may be pregnant, discuss this with your doctor. Of course, it is always important to consider the benefits of any diagnostic study along with the risks. In some cases, the importance of making the correct diagnosis outweighs the potential risk to the unborn baby. Your doctor can explain your options.
If you are breastfeeding, you should not nurse your baby for approximately 36 hours after the radiotracer injection, since radiation can be passed through the breast milk. Prepare for your examination by pumping and saving milk for 24-48 hours before your examination, then bottle-feed your baby during the hours following your appointment.
The radiation administered during a nuclear medicine study is eliminated from you body through the kidneys. For that reason, you should drink plenty of fluids and urinate frequently following your examination.
A bone scan can be used to detect arthritis, infection (cellulitis or osteomyelitis), tumors, fractures that are difficult to see on a standard x-ray, and evidence of prior trauma such as an old sports injuries. A bone scan may also be used to evaluate unexplained bone pain, malignancies of the breast, thyroid, lung, and prostate. Your doctor will determine if a bone scan is necessary.
How will the exam be scheduled?
Your doctor will schedule the examination. When the exam is scheduled, your doctor must send a written order detailing the type of exam you should receive and the region of interest. You should also request a copy of this written order, and you should bring it with you to your appointment. When your examination is scheduled, your doctor will be told the time for your injection, the time for imaging, and the expected length of time for the complete examination.
How should I prepare for the examination?
There is no special preparation for a bone scan. The radiotracers are not known to cause any side effects or adverse interactions with food or prescription drugs. You should continue to take your prescribed medications.
If you are scheduled to have another examination on the same day as your bone scan, you should follow any preparations recommended for that study.
Because x-ray films can be helpful in making a diagnosis, we may also ask you to have x-rays taken on the day of your bone scan appointment.
What happens during the examination?
Prior to receiving her injection, any woman between the ages of 12 and 56 will be asked if she might be pregnant. If you think you might be pregnant, you should talk to your doctor about it before having a nuclear medicine examination.
A technologist will administer the appropriate dose of radiotracer which is typically a simple injection in your arm. If your doctor has ordered the exam because you might have an infection of the bone or a particular type of fracture, images may be taken during the injection of the radiotracer. For most studies, however, you will simply be asked to wait for two to four hours before any images are taken. While you wait, you will be asked to drink at least four 8-oz. servings of liquid-any beverage is fine. You should also try to urinate frequently to help eliminate any excess tracer from your body. You may spend the time in our waiting room, but you may also leave the hospital and return at the scheduled time for imaging.
After the tracer has been absorbed, you will return to the lab for imaging. The technologist will ask you to lie on your back on a bed attached to the camera. Once you are comfortable on the bed, the imaging will begin. The bed will slide, and the camera will pass above and below you from your head to your feet. The camera moves up and down, following the contours of your body. They will come quite close to you. If you are severely claustrophobic, you may ask your doctor for an appropriate prescription to help you relax. The imaging portion of the examination typically lasts 30 minutes to 1 hour. If necessary (for example, if you need a restroom break), imaging can be interrupted. It is important, however, that you remain still while the camera is on-movement can ruin the images, and the nuclear medicine physician may have difficulty interpreting them accurately.
After the scan is complete, you will be able to resume normal daily activities. There will be no restrictions on eating or drinking. The radiotracers do not cause drowsiness, so you will be able to drive.
How will I receive the results?
A Radiologist will review and interpret the images obtained during your study. The results of your bone scan will be provided to your doctor typically within 48 hours.
Are there any side effects?
Most people do not experience any side effects from the radiotracer.
Is the radiation dangerous?
Nuclear medicine examinations do involve the use of a small amount of radiation. The tracer dose is calculated to minimize radiation exposure while providing accurate test results.
Nuclear medicine studies may not be appropriate for pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding. If you think you may be pregnant, discuss this with your doctor. Of course, it is always important to consider the benefits of any diagnostic study along with the risks. In some cases, the importance of making the correct diagnosis outweighs the potential risk to the unborn baby. Your doctor can explain your options.
If you are breastfeeding, you should not nurse your baby for approximately 36 hours after the radiotracer injection, since radiation can be passed through the breast milk. Prepare for your examination by pumping and saving milk for 24-48 hours before your examination, then bottle-feed your baby during the hours following your appointment.
The radiation administered during a nuclear medicine study is eliminated from you body through the kidneys. For that reason, you should drink plenty of fluids and urinate frequently following your examination.
Gallbladder Scan
A gallbladder scan is a procedure that is done to evaluate your gallbladder function. It can find blockage in the tubes (bile ducts) that lead from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine (duodenum).
During a gallbladder scan, a radiotracer is injected into a vein in the arm. The liver removes the tracer from the bloodstream and adds it to the bile that normally flows through the bile ducts to the gallbladder. The gallbladder then releases the tracer into the beginning of the small intestine. Our nuclear medicine camera takes pictures of the tracer as it moves through the liver, bile ducts, gallbladder, and small intestine.
A gallbladder scan is a procedure that is done to evaluate your gallbladder function. It can find blockage in the tubes (bile ducts) that lead from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine (duodenum).
During a gallbladder scan, a radiotracer is injected into a vein in the arm. The liver removes the tracer from the bloodstream and adds it to the bile that normally flows through the bile ducts to the gallbladder. The gallbladder then releases the tracer into the beginning of the small intestine. Our nuclear medicine camera takes pictures of the tracer as it moves through the liver, bile ducts, gallbladder, and small intestine.
Why It Is Done
A gallbladder scan is done to:
A gallbladder scan is done to:
|
Help determine the cause of pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. |
|
Evaluate the function of the gallbladder. A gallbladder ultrasound may be done before a gallbladder scan to help find structural problems in the gallbladder. If the ultrasound is normal, a gallbladder scan often is done to evaluate gallbladder function. |
|
Help determine the cause of jaundice. |
|
Find blockage of the tubes (bile ducts) leading from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine (duodenum). |
|
Look for leakage of bile after surgery or an injury. |
How To Prepare
Before your gallbladder scan, tell your doctor if:
Before your gallbladder scan, tell your doctor if:
|
You are or might be pregnant. |
|
You are breast-feeding. Use formula (discard your breast milk) for 1 to 2 days after the scan until the radioactive tracer has been eliminated from your body. |
|
Within the past 4 days, you have had an X-ray test using barium contrast material (such as barium enema) or have taken a medicine (such as Pepto-Bismol) that contains bismuth. Barium and bismuth can interfere with test results. |
Do not eat, drink, or take pain medication for 6 hours before a gallbladder scan.
Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean.
How It Is Done
A gallbladder scan is usually done by a nuclear medicine technologist. The scan pictures are usually interpreted by a Radiologist.
You will need to remove any jewelry that might interfere with the scan.
The technologist cleans the site on your arm where the radioactive tracer will be injected. A small amount of the radioactive tracer is then injected.
You will lie on your back on a table and a nuclear medicine camera will be positioned closely above your abdomen. After the radioactive tracer is injected, the camera will scan for radiation released by the tracer and produce pictures as the tracer passes through your liver and into your gallbladder and small intestine. The first pictures will be taken right after the injection. The pictures may be continuous (like a video) or may be taken once in a while for up to the next 2 hours. You need to lie very still during each scan to avoid blurring the pictures. The camera does not produce any radiation, so you are not exposed to any additional radiation while the scan is being done.
A substance (cholecystokinin) that stimulates the gallbladder may also be injected into your vein during the scans. The pictures taken after this injection can help determine whether the gallbladder is functioning normally. Computer analysis of the data may be used to evaluate gallbladder function. You may be asked to answer questions about your reaction to the cholecystokinin. Occasionally medicine (morphine sulfate) is given to help diagnose inflammation of the gallbladder.
The gallbladder scan takes about 1 to 2 hours.
How It Feels
You may feel nothing at all from the needle puncture when the tracer is injected, or you may feel a brief sting or pinch as the needle goes through the skin. Otherwise, a gallbladder scan is usually painless. You may find it difficult to remain still during the scan. Ask for a pillow or blanket to make yourself as comfortable as possible before the scan begins.
The test may be uncomfortable if you are having abdominal pain. Try to relax by breathing slowly and deeply.
If cholecystokinin is used during the test, it may cause nausea or abdominal pain. The technologist may ask you about changes in your pain during the test.
Risks
Allergic reactions to the radioactive tracer are rare. Most of the tracer will be eliminated from your body (through your urine or stool) within a day, so be sure to promptly flush the toilet and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. The amount of radiation is so small that it is not a risk for people to come in contact with you following the test.
Occasionally, some soreness or swelling may develop at the injection site. These symptoms can usually be relieved by applying moist, warm compresses to your arm.
There is always a slight risk of damage to cells or tissue from being exposed to any radiation, including the low level of radiation released by the radioactive tracer used for this test.
Results
The results of a gallbladder scan are usually available in 2 days.
Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean.
How It Is Done
A gallbladder scan is usually done by a nuclear medicine technologist. The scan pictures are usually interpreted by a Radiologist.
You will need to remove any jewelry that might interfere with the scan.
The technologist cleans the site on your arm where the radioactive tracer will be injected. A small amount of the radioactive tracer is then injected.
You will lie on your back on a table and a nuclear medicine camera will be positioned closely above your abdomen. After the radioactive tracer is injected, the camera will scan for radiation released by the tracer and produce pictures as the tracer passes through your liver and into your gallbladder and small intestine. The first pictures will be taken right after the injection. The pictures may be continuous (like a video) or may be taken once in a while for up to the next 2 hours. You need to lie very still during each scan to avoid blurring the pictures. The camera does not produce any radiation, so you are not exposed to any additional radiation while the scan is being done.
A substance (cholecystokinin) that stimulates the gallbladder may also be injected into your vein during the scans. The pictures taken after this injection can help determine whether the gallbladder is functioning normally. Computer analysis of the data may be used to evaluate gallbladder function. You may be asked to answer questions about your reaction to the cholecystokinin. Occasionally medicine (morphine sulfate) is given to help diagnose inflammation of the gallbladder.
The gallbladder scan takes about 1 to 2 hours.
How It Feels
You may feel nothing at all from the needle puncture when the tracer is injected, or you may feel a brief sting or pinch as the needle goes through the skin. Otherwise, a gallbladder scan is usually painless. You may find it difficult to remain still during the scan. Ask for a pillow or blanket to make yourself as comfortable as possible before the scan begins.
The test may be uncomfortable if you are having abdominal pain. Try to relax by breathing slowly and deeply.
If cholecystokinin is used during the test, it may cause nausea or abdominal pain. The technologist may ask you about changes in your pain during the test.
Risks
Allergic reactions to the radioactive tracer are rare. Most of the tracer will be eliminated from your body (through your urine or stool) within a day, so be sure to promptly flush the toilet and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. The amount of radiation is so small that it is not a risk for people to come in contact with you following the test.
Occasionally, some soreness or swelling may develop at the injection site. These symptoms can usually be relieved by applying moist, warm compresses to your arm.
There is always a slight risk of damage to cells or tissue from being exposed to any radiation, including the low level of radiation released by the radioactive tracer used for this test.
Results
The results of a gallbladder scan are usually available in 2 days.
|
Pregnancy. A gallbladder scan is not usually done during pregnancy because the radiation could damage the developing baby (fetus). |
|
Barium and bismuth. If a gallbladder scan is needed, it should be done before any tests that use barium (such as a barium enema). |
|
The inability to remain still during the test. |
|
Being allergic to morphine. |
What Affects the Test
Factors that can interfere with your test and the accuracy of the results
Factors that can interfere with your test and the accuracy of the results
What To Think About
A gallbladder ultrasound test may also be done to find problems of the gallbladder. The ultrasound test provides more information about the shape and size of the gallbladder than a nuclear scan does. But the nuclear scan can provide information about how well the gallbladder is functioning and whether the bile ducts are blocked.
The results of a gallbladder scan should be interpreted along with your symptoms and the results of other tests, such as a physical examination and an ultrasound.
A gallbladder ultrasound test may also be done to find problems of the gallbladder. The ultrasound test provides more information about the shape and size of the gallbladder than a nuclear scan does. But the nuclear scan can provide information about how well the gallbladder is functioning and whether the bile ducts are blocked.
The results of a gallbladder scan should be interpreted along with your symptoms and the results of other tests, such as a physical examination and an ultrasound.