Learning more about your appointment with
Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine typically uses radioactive injections in order to take pictures of how your body is functioning.
Images are captured with a Gamma Camera.
All Nuclear Medicine diagnostic testing requires an injection of contrast solution.
All injections will happen in any acceptable vein, except for sentinel node injections. Some injections will be done only with a needle, while others will require an IV to be administered to the patient. This decided while keeping the needs of the testing and patient in mind.
Reactions to injections are uncommon, but possible. The amount of radiation used for these tests ranges between that of an x-ray and that of a CT scan.
Patients should notify their care providers if they are pregnant or breast feeding.
*After any Nuclear Medicine test you may be searched when crossing the international bridge, as they have radiation detectors and you may set off their alarms.*
Please choose from the list below to learn more about your specific exam:
“Mibi Scans” or “Nuclear Medicine Stress tests” are scans done to see how well blood is being supplied to your heart muscle and to make sure there are no blockages in the coronary arteries.
The test happens in two parts over two consecutive days.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
Nothing to eat for 4 hours prior to your appointment.
Please refrain from consuming drinks containing caffeine for at least 12 hours before your test.
It is important to stay hydrated for this exam, so although you are to refrain from eating and drinking caffeine, please continue to drink clear fluids such as water with no restriction.
Before Your Exam/Test
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing (especially around the neck) with a short sleeve and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
Take all prescribed medication as directed (with the exception of Tylenol-3) with water.
Please bring a current list of all medications you are taking with you to your appointment.
About your appointment
What to Expect
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
Stress Portion
Some patients will have their stress test on the treadmill and others with injections, this depends on the physicians request, the patient’s ability and medications.
For the injection only version, the patient will receive a “stress drug” this is the only injection with potential side effects (Typically light head/headache, shortness of breath). They will also receive the radioactive injection for imaging and at the end an injection to reverse side effects. The patient will be hooked up to an ECG for the entire stress test for monitoring for approximately 30 minutes.
After the stress test the patient will need to wait 1 hour before pictures, they may have a snack at this time. After the break the images will take 15 minutes.
If able to do the treadmill the patient will be hooked up to an ECG and given an IV The doctor and technologist will have them walking on the treadmill, this will continue until the patient’s heart rate reaches the desired speed and then the technologist will give the patient the radioactive injection (contrast solution) for imaging through the IV. After the treadmill there will be some additional monitoring and then the patients images will be taken for 15 minutes.
Rest Portion
For the rest portion of the test the patient is given the radioactive injection for imaging into any acceptable vein. The patient will have to wait for 30 minutes before their images, during this time they may be allowed to have a snack. Then the images will take 15 minutes.
You may experience minor side effects from the stress test, such as a feeling of being light headed or a headache.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
Stress Portion: Approximately 2 hours.
Rest Portion: Approximately 1 hour.
After your appointment
You may feel tired after a stress test, this is normal.
If you begin to experience chest pain after receiving this treatment please report to your nearest emergency room as soon as possible.
Your radiologist will report the findings to your ordering physician within 1-3 days, who you may contact for the results.
A bone scan is a test that uses nuclear imaging to help diagnose and/or track several types of bone disease.
A bone scan can also be an important tool for detecting cancer that has metastasized/spread to the bone from the tumor’s original location.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing (especially around the neck) with a short sleeve and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
Please bring a current list of all medications you are taking with you to your appointment.
About your appointment
What to Expect
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
You will be given a radioactive injection (contrast solution), sometimes a picture is taken at the same time as the injection. You will be asked to return for follow up images with the technologist approximately 2 – 3 hours after your injection.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
The initial appointment takes approximately 15 minutes and the follow up imaging takes approximately 45 minutes.
After your appointment
There is no aftercare needed after this scan. Typically patients are at no risk of a reaction to the injection.
Your radiologist will report the findings to your ordering physician within 1-3 days, who you may contact for the results.
These scans may be done before surgery to remove breast cancer or melanoma to help the surgeon locate the lymph nodes closest to the cancerous area that should be removed and tested for suspected malignant cells/tissue.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing (especially around the neck) with a short sleeve and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
Please bring a current list of all medications you are taking with you to your appointment.
About your appointment
What to Expect
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
You will have a number of injections (usually four in total) placed around the suspected cancerous tissue and then you will be asked to wait for approximately 1 hour while the injections take effect.
In melanoma patients, the injection is placed around the identified cancerous area.
In breast cancer patients, injections are placed around the areola.
A technologist will take scans of the area for the surgeon after your 1 hour wait.
*The injections may cause you to experience a stinging sensation but freezing is available to ease any discomfort you may experience.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
Approximately 90 minutes.
After your appointment
Reactions to the injection are rare.
Your radiologist will report the findings to your ordering physician within 1-3 days, who you may contact for the results.
The results are sent to the hospital system where your physician will be able to review them prior to your surgery.
A thyroid uptake and scan is a diagnostic imaging scan that allows your radiologist to determine the function of your thyroid. This scan can determine if there is any presence of cancer, persistent or recurrent disease, hyperthyroidism, and provide thyroid nodule and/or goiter assessment.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
Nothing to eat or drink after 8 p.m. the day before your appointment.
Before Your Exam/Test
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing (especially around the neck) with a short sleeve and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
Thyroid medications may need to be stopped for 1-4 weeks prior to your first appointment. Please communicate to your booking clerk if you are taking a thyroid medication.
Please bring a current list of all medications you are taking with you to your appointment.
About your appointment
What to Expect
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
The uptake involves swallowing a pill of radioactive iodine at your first appointment. You will be asked to return after 24 hours to have your thyroid scanned by a technologist. This process will show your physician how fast or slow your thyroid is working.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
Receiving the pills takes approximately 15 minutes at your first appointment.
The scan at your second appointment can take up to 45 minutes.
After your appointment
There is no aftercare needed after this scan. Typically patients are at no risk of a reaction to the pill that will be administered.
Your radiologist will report the findings to your ordering physician within 1-3 days, who you may contact for the results.
Parathyroid scans will show if sections of your parathyroid gland are over active. This can help your radiologist diagnose and localize parathyroid adenoma.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
Before Your Exam/Test
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing (especially around the neck) with a short sleeve and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
Please bring a current list of all medications you are taking with you to your appointment.
About your appointment
What to Expect
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
The scan is done in 2 parts, an injection followed by images in the morning and follow-up images taken 4 hours after the injection.
You may be provided a gown to change into if necessary.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
The initial appointment takes approximately 30 minutes.
The second appointments takes approximately 30 minutes.
After your appointment
There is no aftercare needed after this scan. Typically patients are at no risk of a reaction to the injection.
Your radiologist will report the findings to your ordering physician within 1-3 days, who you may contact for the results.
A Renal scan can show your physician how quickly your kidneys are functioning and also make sure there are no obstructions in the flow of urine to the bladder.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
There are no restrictions on food.
Drink at least 2 glasses of water 1 hour before your appointment.
No caffeine 12 hours before your appointment.
Before Your Exam/Test
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing (especially around the neck) with a short sleeve and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
Please bring a current list of all medications you are taking with you to your appointment.
Do not take diuretics for 12 hours prior to your appointment.
*You do not need to hold your bladder for this scan, use the restroom whenever necessary.
About your appointment
What to Expect
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
A radioactive injection is given followed by 30 minutes of imaging. Depending on how the initial images look a second injection may be given, followed by 30 more minutes of imaging.
You may be provided a gown to change into if necessary.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
Approximately 60 minutes.
After your appointment
There are typically no reactions to the initial injection.
The second injection, if necessary, may cause a temporary increase in the frequency you need to urinate for a few hours after your appointment.
Your radiologist will report the findings to your ordering physician within 1-3 days, who you may contact for the results.
A Muga scan is used to show your physician how well your heart is pumping blood.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
No restrictions.
Before Your Exam/Test
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing (especially around the neck) with a short sleeve and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
Take all prescribed medication as directed.
Please bring a current list of all medications you are taking with you to your appointment.
About your appointment
What to Expect
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
Two injections are given, with pictures(scan) following the second injection.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
Approximately 40 minutes.
After your appointment
There is no aftercare needed after this scan. Typically patients are at no risk of a reaction to the injection.
Your radiologist will report the findings to your ordering physician within 1-3 days, who you may contact for the results.
A hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid scan otherwise known as a HIDA scan is used to track the flow of bile from your liver to your small intestine.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
Nothing to eat or drink 8 hours prior to your appointment.
Patient may have water if necessary.
Before Your Exam/Test
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing (especially around the neck) with a short sleeve and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
Take all prescribed medication as directed with water.
Do not take opioid pain killers 24 hours prior to your appointment.
Please bring a current list of all medications you are taking with you to your appointment.
About your appointment
What to Expect
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
An injection is given and pictures are taken immediately to see how the gallbladder fills, this may take 30 – 60 minutes depending on the patient.
If the Gallbladder fills during picture 1 an ensure meal replacement drink is given, this will allow pictures of the gallbladder squeezing to be taken.
If the gallbladder does not fill during picture 1 the patient may need to leave and return 4 hours after injection to see if the gallbladder fills very slowly.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
The test typically takes 90 minutes, but will vary patient to patient.
After your appointment
There is no aftercare needed after this scan. Typically patients are at no risk of a reaction to the injection.
Your radiologist will report the findings to your ordering physician within 1-3 days, who you may contact for the results.
A gastric emptying study is a test used to determine the amount of time that it takes a meal to move through a person’s stomach. This is typically ordered by physicians for patients who experience frequent unexplained vomiting, gastroparesis, abdominal pain, early satiety and pre-operative evaluation.
Preparing for your appointment
What can I eat?
Nothing to eat or drink 4 hours before your appointment.
Patient may have water if necessary.
Before Your Exam/Test
Please prepare for your exam by wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing (especially around the neck) with a short sleeve and refrain from wearing jewelry for your technologist’s convenience.
Take all prescribed medication as directed with water.
Do not take gastric motility drugs the morning of the test.
About your appointment
What to Expect
When you arrive at the hospital, you will report to diagnostic imaging for your appointment and check in with registration. You will be asked to wait in the x-ray waiting room until a technologist is prepared to assist you for your exam. When your technologist is prepared you will be escorted to the procedure room where the technologist or nurse will review or explain the procedure.
The patient will eat a plain egg sandwich, there is radioactivity mixed into the egg and this will allow us to take picture of the egg moving through the stomach.
After eating the sandwich a picture will be taken for 1 hour, if the egg has moved quickly through the stomach the test will end.
If the egg has moved slowly through the stomach the patient will need to remain for more pictures – up to potentially 4 hours.
You may be provided a gown to change into if necessary.
*Allergic reactions to the contrast solution, although are rare, are still possible. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include, but are not limited to itchiness, redness, hives, or shortness of breath. If you experience any sort of reaction during your time with us, immediately bring it to the attention of the technologist, nurse or radiologist involved with your procedure.
If you believe you are experiencing a delayed minor reaction after leaving the hospital such as hives, redness, itchiness, please contact your primary care provider/ordering physician, or pharmacist.
If you believe your reaction is more severe, such as impacting your ability to breath, please seek emergency care or call 9-1-1.
How long will it take?
This study can take up to 4 hours and will vary patient to patient.
After your appointment
There is no aftercare needed after this study. Typically patients are at no risk of a reaction to the food.
Your radiologist will report the findings to your ordering physician within 1-3 days, who you may contact for the results.