Patient Information
BONE
BONE SCAN
No preparation is required; patients should come well hydrated and will be encouraged to drink fluids between the time of the injection and the time of scanning.
DEXA (Bone Density) SCAN
No Preparation. No oral X-ray dye within 4 days before test.
CARDIAC
MUGA (Cardiac Blood Pool)
No special preparation.
MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION SCAN
Treadmill – nothing to eat or drink 3 hours before the test. Caffeine and alcohol should be avoided for 12 hours before the test. Ask your physician about Beta Blockers. Please avoid stomach acid reducing medications 1 day before treadmill test. Pharmacologic – avoid all food or medication that contains caffeine, theophylline or aminophylline for 24 hours prior to the test; this means no tea, decaffeinated tea, herbal tea, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, soda and Excedrin. Please avoid stomach acid reducing medications 1 day before test. The test will take 2 hours.
CNS
BRAIN SPECT
No benzodiazepines 24 hours prior to your examination.
ENDOCRINE
THYROID SCAN
Avoid seafood for 1 week prior to test. Avoid X-ray contrast and thyroid hormones (Synthyroid, Levoxyl, Thyroid) for 4 weeks, PTU and Tapazole for 5 days. Nothing to eat for one hour prior to your first appointment.
THYROID WHOLE BODY METASTATIC SCAN
Nothing to eat or drink for 1 hour prior to dosing. The scan is usually performed 48 to 72 hours after dosing. Patients are typically prepared for this examination with thyrogen injections or thyroid hormone changes. Patients should contact us if they have not been told what to do. Please call us if you have had X-ray dye in the past 3 months.
PARATHYROID IMAGING
No Iodine contrast studies within 10 days of your appointment.
GI
GASTRIC EMPTYING
No food or drink after midnight before your examination and you should discontinue all sedatives 12 hours prior to the examination.
GE REFLUX
Take nothing by mouth (food or liquid) for 4 hours prior to your study.
HIDA SCAN (HEPATOBILIARY SCAN)
Take nothing by mouth (food or liquid) for 4 hours prior to your study. No narcotic or opiate based pain medication 6 hours prior to your study.
MECKEL’S DIVERTICULUM EXAM
Do not eat for 4 hours prior to test. Patients may be told
to take Tagamet one day before test.
SALIVARY GLAND
No Thyroid Blocker Medication (SSKI or Perchlorate) 48
hours before your examination.
From Interstate 5 (North or South bound) or Highway 44
•Take the Highway 44 West/Central Redding exit
• Stay on highway, which becomes Shasta Street
•Turn left at Court Street
• Nuclear Medicine Associates will be on the right
RENAL/GENITOURINARY
CAPTOPRIL RENAL SCAN
Patients should avoid ACE inhibitors and angiotensin
receptor blockers (blood pressure medicines) for 48
hours prior to the scan; please consult your doctor about
this. Patients will need to arrive hydrated.
DIURETIC RENAL SCAN
Hold your diuretics on day of exam.
PROSTASCINT
Detailed preparation required. Please call our center for
complete instructions.
THERAPY
1-131 THERAPY HYPERTHYROIDISM
You will see a Nuclear Medicine Physician in
consultation prior to treatment; he/she will discuss the
treatment in detail including preparation.
1-131 THERAPY THYROID CARCINOMA
You will see a Nuclear Medicine Physician in
consultation prior to treatment; he/she will discuss the
treatment in detail including preparation.
TUMOR/INFECTION
TUMOR IMAGING GALLIUM SCAN
No contrast studies should be performed during your
examination period of 72 hours.
MIBG
Detailed preparation required. Please call our center for
complete instructions.
OCTREOTIDE SCAN
Detailed preparation required. Please call our center for
complete instructions.