WHAT IS NUCLEAR MEDICINE
Nuclear Medicine is a medical speciality that uses small amounts of radioactive tracers (radiopharmaceuticals) to assess bodily functions and to diagnose and treat diseases. Different types of radiopharmaceuticals are administered into your body to show different physiological or biological functions. Common tests include assessment of bone turnover (osteoblastic) activity, cardiac or brain perfusion and lymphatic drainage pathways. It is safe and have no side effects.
Bone Scan
What to expect during a Bone Scan
For a bone scan, you will be given a small injection into a vein usually in your arm. You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding. This injection contains a small amount of a radioactive tracer (not a dye) which gets absorbed into your bones over a period of hours (2-6). Side effects from the injection are extremely rare and it is a very safe procedure.
At injection the tracer is in your blood stream and we may take some pictures at this time to see the blood flow to an area of your body. After the injection you may leave and there are no restrictions on what you can do. You will be asked to drink 4-6 cups of fluid and to empty your bladder as often as you like. You may eat and take any medication as normal.
You will be given an appointment to return for imaging between 2 to 6 hours later when we will take a set of pictures of your bones. Depending on your medical history, these pictures will take 60-90 minutes. Most of this time you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still while we take pictures.
After a Bone Scan
After your scan you are free to go and there are no restrictions on what you can do. The pictures will be read by one of our specialist doctors and the findings will be sent directly to your doctor.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff who will be happy to answer them.
Brain Scan
What to expect during a Brain Scan
This scan looks at blood flow and metabolism of the brain.
You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding
For a brain scan, you will be given a small injection into a vein usually in your arm after you have been laying in a darkened room for 10 minutes where you must relax and keep very still. This injection contains a small amount of a radioactive tracer (not a dye) which gets absorbed into your brain. Side effects from the injection are extremely rare and it is a very safe procedure.
After the injection you will stay in the darkened room where you must continue to relax for another 10 minutes. You may then leave and return 45-75 minutes after the injection after which we will take some pictures for 30 minutes and you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still.
After a Brain Scan
After your scan you are free to go and there are no restrictions on what you can do.
The pictures will be read by one of our specialist doctors and the findings will be sent directly to your doctor.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff who will be happy to answer them.
Gastrointestinal Scan
Gastric Emptying
This scan looks at how fast food empties from your stomach. One of our friendly staff will contact you before your appointment to discuss the preparation for the test as well as any medication you are currently taking.
You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding.
You must fast for 6 hours prior to your appointment. For a gastric emptying study, you will be given an egg white omelette and some toast to eat, to which a small amount of radioactive tracer (not a dye) has been added. Side effects from the meal are extremely rare and it is a very safe procedure.
After finishing the food, images will be taken for 30 minutes and then every hour for four hours (1-2 minutes each picture) and you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still.
The pictures will be read by one of our specialist doctors and the findings will be sent directly to your doctor.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff who will be happy to answer them.
Colonic Transit Study
This study looks at the transit of a liquid through your bowel over 5 days. One of our friendly staff will contact you before your appointment to discuss the preparation for the test as well as any medication you are currently taking.
You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding.
For a colonic transit study you may have a light breakfast before your appointment. You will be asked to drink a glass of water to which a small amount of a radioactive tracer has been added. Side effects from the drink are extremely rare and it is a very safe procedure.
You will then be asked to return 6 hours later (there are no restrictions on what you can do) for a picture which will take 10 minutes and you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still. The 10 minute picture is then repeated over the remainder of the week in the morning.
After your scan you are free to go and there are no restrictions on what you can do. The pictures will be read by one of our specialist doctors and the findings will be sent directly to your doctor.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff who will be happy to answer them.
Reflux Study
This study looks at the passage of a liquid through your oesophagus to your stomach. You will be asked to swallow small amounts of water to which a small amount of a radioactive tracer has been added.
Side effects from the tracer are extremely rare and it is a very safe procedure.
You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding.
Pictures for this part of the test will take 5 minutes. You will then be asked to drink 2 cups of water and some more pictures are taken for 1 hour. This part of the test shows if any liquid refluxes from your stomach to your oesophagus.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff who will be happy to answer them.
Heart Scan
What to expect during a Myocardial Perfusion (Heart) Scan
One of our friendly staff will contact you before your appointment to discuss the preparation for the test as well as any medication you are currently taking.
You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding.
You must fast for 4 hours prior to your appointment and avoid all caffeine (tea, coffee, soft drink and chocolate) for 24 hours prior to your appointment.
You may take your normal medication with a small amount of water unless you have been told not to.
This scan looks at the blood flow to the muscle in your heart. It is usually performed over 2 appointments on the same day. For the first appointment, you will be given a small injection into a vein usually in your arm. This injection contains a small amount of a radioactive tracer (not a dye) which gets absorbed into the heart muscle over a period of 1-3 hours. Side effects from the injection are extremely rare (you may notice a metallic taste whilst being given the injection) and it is a very safe procedure.
After the injection you are free to leave and you will be given an appointment to return 1-3 hours later for some pictures. We will then take some pictures for 30-40 minutes and you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still. After your scan you are free to go and there are no restrictions on what you can do.
The second part of the scan is the stress test. For this part you will have a drip placed into a vein in your arm and will be given an injection over a few minutes which will make the blood vessels in your heart expand. Complications are rare and you will be constantly monitored by an experienced doctor for any symptoms as well as having your blood pressure and ECG watched during this part of the test. There may be some side effects to this part of the test and more information will be given to you before we begin. You will be given the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
Once the stress test is nearly complete, you will be given a small injection through the drip in your arm. This injection contains a small amount of radioactive tracer (not a dye) which gets absorbed into the heart muscle over a period of 1-3 hours (this injection is the same as the first appointment).
You will then be given something to eat and drink and pictures will be taken 1-2 hours later. The same pictures as your first appointment will then be taken for 30-40 minutes and you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still.
After a Heart Scan
After your scan you are free to go if you feel well and there are no restrictions on what you can do.
The pictures will be read by one of our specialist doctors and the findings will be sent directly to your doctor.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff who will be happy to answer them.
Kidney Scan
DMSA Scan
This scan checks for scarring and looks at the function of your kidneys. For a DMSA scan, you will be given a small injection into a vein usually in your arm. This injection contains a small amount of a radioactive tracer (not a dye) which gets absorbed into your kidneys over a period of hours (2-4). Side effects from the injection are extremely rare and it is a very safe procedure.
You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding. The pictures will be read by one of our specialist doctors and the findings will be sent directly to your doctor.
After the injection you are free to go and there are no restrictions on what you can do. You will be asked to drink 4-6 cups of fluid and empty your bladder as often as you like. You will be given an appointment to return 2-4 hours after the injection for some pictures. These will take 45-60 minutes and you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still while we take pictures. After your scan you are free to go and there are no restrictions on what you can do.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff who will be happy to answer them.
MAG3 Renal Scan
This scan checks the overall functioning of your kidneys including blood flow, function and drainage. For this scan, you will be given a small injection into a vein usually in your arm. This injection contains a small amount of a radioactive tracer (not a dye) which is filtered from the blood stream by your kidneys and excreted as urine into your bladder.
You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding.
You will also be given an injection of Lasix which increases the amount of urine produced by your kidneys to help us look at the drainage to your bladder.
We will take pictures for 45-60minutes and you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still. Near the end of the test you will be asked to empty your bladder and another picture will be taken. This picture will only take 2 minutes.
Side effects from this scan are extremely rare but you may feel some discomfort if your kidneys are blocked due to the effect of the Lasix. Please let the staff member taking your pictures know if you are in any discomfort. After your scan you are free to go and there are no restrictions on what you can do.
The pictures will be read by one of our specialist doctors and the findings will be sent directly to your doctor.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff who will be happy to answer them.
Lung Scan
What to expect during a Lung Scan
This scan looks at the blood flow to the lungs. For a lung scan, you will be given a small injection into a vein usually in your arm. This injection contains a small amount of a radioactive tracer (not a dye) which gets absorbed into your lungs. Side effects from the injection are extremely rare and it is a very safe procedure. We will then take pictures for 30-45 minutes and you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still.
You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding.
After a Lung Scan
After your scan you are free to go and there are no restrictions on what you can do. The pictures will be read by one of our specialist doctors and the findings will be sent directly to your doctor.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff who will be happy to answer them.
Lymph Scan
What to expect during a Lymphoscintigraphy (Sentinel Node) Scan
This scan looks at lymphatic flow to show the first lymph node which drains an area. For this scan you will be given a small injection under the skin in the area your doctor has asked us to. This injection contains a small amount of a radioactive tracer (not a dye) which will be drained by the lymphatic system. Side effects from the injection are extremely rare and it is a very safe procedure.
You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding.
We will then take some pictures for 30 minutes-2 hours and you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still.
After a Lymphoscintigraphy (Sentinel Node) Scan
After your scan you are free to go and there are no restrictions on what you can do. The pictures will be read by one of our specialist doctors and the findings will be sent directly to your doctor.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff who will be happy to answer them.
What to expect during a Lymphoscintigraphy Scan
This scan looks at lymphatic drainage. For this scan you will be given a small injection under the skin in the area your doctor has asked us to. This injection contains a small amount of a radioactive tracer (not a dye) which will be drained by the lymphatic system. Side effects from the injection are extremely rare and it is a very safe procedure.
You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding.
We will then take some pictures for 30 minutes-2 hours and you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still. You will then be asked to return 2-4 hours after the injection for some more images which will take 30-60minutes.
After a Lymphoscintigraphy Scan
After your scan you are free to go and there are no restrictions on what you can do. The pictures will be read by one of our specialist doctors and the findings will be sent directly to your doctor.
Thyroid Scan
What to expect during a Thyroid Scan
For a thyroid scan, you will be given a small injection into a vein usually in your arm. This injection contains a small amount of a radioactive tracer (not a dye) which gets absorbed by the thyroid gland over 20 minutes. Side effects from the injection are extremely rare and it is a very safe procedure.
You must tell us if there is any chance you are pregnant or are currently breastfeeding, taking thyroid medication, multivitamins, kelp tablets or had a CT scan with contrast within 6 weeks of your appointment.
After 20 minutes you will be asked to drink a glass of water and pictures will be taken for about 30 minutes, during which time you will need to lay on a bed, relax and keep very still while we take pictures.
After a Thyroid Scan
The pictures will be read by one of our specialist doctors and the findings will be sent directly to your doctor. After your scan you are free to go and there are no restrictions on what you can do.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask our friendly staff who will be happy to answer them.
