Hepatobiliary Scan: Nothing to eat or drink for 8 hours prior to test

Renal Scan: Drink 2 large glasses of water (about 500ml) 30 to 60 minutes prior to the test. The patient may void

Thyroid Uptake and Scan: Discontinue thyroid hormones Levothyroxine/Synthroid 4-6 weeks and PTU/Tapazole for 1 week, do not take any multivitamins or food rich in iodine (kale, kelp, seaweed).

NOTE FOR THE PATIENTS: Patient’s should check with their doctor about whether or not to discontinue use of any thyroid medications.

Nuclear Medicine plays a very important role in diagnostic imaging, different from other tests such as X-Ray and ultrasound. These tests allow us to see the physiologic processes within your body and not just your structure and anatomy. Nuclear Medicine tests are a non-invasive test done by injecting a very small amount of a radioactive tracer into a vein in your arm and the tracer travels to the area of interest. We are then able to take pictures using our gamma camera to diagnose different pathologies.

It is very rare to experience any side effects from the injection. The amount of radioactive material injected for testing is minimal and is considered to be safe. Nuclear medicine testing has been in use for over 6 decades and the benefits of achieving early and accurate diagnoses far outweigh any possible risk associated with the radiation.

Common nuclear medicine procedures performed at GNMI include bone scans, myocardial perfusion imaging, & gastric emptying studies. The imaging is straightforward and painless and involves the patient lying on an examination table with the camera close to his or her body.