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Tests and Procedures

Blood Volume Study

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Blood Volume Study”. This is a simple way of determining the total volume of your blood using a small amount of radioactivity. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

The technologist will insert an intravenous tube in your arm. A sample of your blood will be taken and labeled with a small amount of radioactivity. This radioactive blood sample will be re-injected into the intravenous tube. Additional blood samples will be taken at intervals up to 45 minutes later. The technologist will then check your height and weight, completing the test.

Bone Scan

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Bone Scan”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your bones using a radioactive tracer. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

You will receive a small amount of radioactivity in the form of an injection in a vein in your arm. Depending on what information your doctor is looking for; this may be done while you are under a special camera. You will then be asked to return 2-4 hours later, for more pictures on a similar camera. If possible, please drink about one liter of water while you are waiting. Your scan will take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete, depending what information your doctor is interested in. Occasionally, the doctor may ask you to come back the next day for another picture.

Brain Scan

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Perfusion Brain Scan”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your brain using a radioactive substance. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

The technologist will insert an intravenous tube in your arm. You will be asked to sit still and relax for 10 to 15 minutes because the distribution of the radioactive tracer will be adversely affected if your brain is too active at the time of injection. The technologist will then inject the radioactive dye through the intravenous tubing. There is then a waiting period of approximately 30 minutes during which the tracer will concentrate in the brain. At the end of the waiting period you will be asked to lie down on a table and a special detector, called a gamma camera, will be positioned close to your head and will revolve around your head taking pictures as it does so. The procedure takes about 20 minutes.

Cisternogram

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Cisternogram”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of the fluid in your brain using a radioactive tracer. You do not need to be fasting for this examination. The procedure is:

A small amount of radioactivity must be placed into your spinal fluid in order to trace the flow. In the Radiology Department, a Radiologist will ask you to sign a consent form and then inject a small amount of anesthetic under the skin in your lower back. Once the anesthetic has taken effect, another needle will be used to inject a small amount of radioactivity into your spine. After the needle is removed, the doctor may ask you to rest quietly for a short time before leaving. Images of the movement of the spinal fluid will be taken later in afternoon in the Nuclear Medicine Department. Once the images are complete, you may go home. More images will be taken the next morning and again for two consecutive days. Each set of images will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Cardiac Perfusion Stress Test

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Cardiac Perfusion Stress test”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your heart using a radioactive tracer. You are required to remain fasting overnight for this procedure. You will also be asked to stop taking certain medications for at least 24 hours before your test.

This test will take approximately 3-4 hours to complete. A detailed explanation of this procedure will be given to you when your doctor requests this procedure and you receive your appointment.

C-14 Breath Test

Your physician has requested an examination called a “C-14 Breath Test”. This is a simple and painless way of checking your stomach for the presence of certain bacteria that may be causing you discomfort.

You must be fasting for 6 hours before your appointment. Certain medications may interfere with the test. Please call the Nuclear Medicine Department if you are taking or have taken antibiotics or any prescription or non-prescription medication for your stomach within the last month. A technologist will ask you to swallow a capsule containing a small amount of radioactive carbon-14. The amount of radioactivity is very small, no more than the average person receives each day from background radiation. There will be no adverse reaction to the medication.

After 10 minutes you will be asked to exhale into a balloon. This is the breath sample, which will be used to detect the bacteria. You may now return home and resume normal activities. The results will be sent directly to your physician.

Gallium Scan

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Gallium Scan”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your body using a radioactive tracer. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

A technologist will inject a radioactive tracer into a vein in the arm. It takes at least 2 days for the tracer to accumulate in the organs to be imaged. Therefore, after the injection, you will be asked to return to the department 2-3 days later. When you return you will be asked to lie down on a table and a special detector, called a gamma camera, will be positioned close to the parts of your body being studied. Images may be taken from different angles in order to obtain the maximum information. The procedure takes about 30-45 minutes. Sometimes, the physician may ask you to return a day or two later for an extra image.

Gastric Emptying Study

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Gastric Emptying Study”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of the function of your stomach using a radioactive tracer.

You need to be fasting overnight for this examination. If you are taking medication to help your digestion please call the Nuclear Medicine Department. A technologist will ask you to eat an egg sandwich to which a small amount of radioactive material has been added. The amount of radioactivity is very small. You will not be able to taste it and it will have no adverse effect on you Immediately after this, a special detector, called a gamma camera, will be placed over your abdomen to take a series of pictures of your stomach. This will take almost 2 hours. The camera does not produce radiation, it simply picks up signals (gamma rays) from the radioactive substance which was in the eggs.

Gastro-Esophageal Transit/Aspiration

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Gastro-Esophageal Transit/Aspiration Study”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your ability to swallow. You are required to fast for two hours prior to starting this test. Depending on the information that your physician is looking for, this test can take most of the day to complete.

A technologist will ask you to lie on an imaging table. You will then be asked to drink some water mixed with a small amount of radioactivity. You will experience no reactions to this drink. The technologist will take several pictures of the swallowing process. The camera does not produce radiation; it simply picks up signals (gamma rays) from the radioactive tracers which you received.

Once this first part of the test is complete, you will be given some orange juice to drink. Again the technologist will take several pictures of the swallowing process. In some cases, it may be necessary to take additional pictures at various intervals throughout the day.

You may then return home feeling no ill effects from the examination. The results will be sent directly to your physician.

Gastro-Intestinal Bleed Study

Your physician has requested an examination called a "Gastro-Intestinal Bleed Study". This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your abdomen, to detect a possible internal bleeding, using a radioactive tracer. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

A technologist will take a small sample of your blood. The technologist will then label your blood with a small amount of radioactivity. This labeling process will take approximately one hour to perform. The technologist will then ask you to lie down on an imaging table and place you under a special detector, called a gamma camera. The technologist will then re-inject your blood into a vein in your arm. The amount of radioactivity in your blood is very small and you will experience no side effects.

The technologist will then take a series of pictures of your abdomen. The procedure takes about 1 hour. The camera does not produce radiation; it simply picks up signals (gamma rays) from the radioactive material which you received. In some cases, it may be necessary to perform additional delayed images later in the day.

You may then return home feeling no ill effects from the examination. The results will be sent directly to your physician.

Gated Cardiac Scan (MUGA)

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Gated Cardiac Scan”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your heart using a radioactive tracer. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

A technologist will inject a special drug into a vein in the arm. This drug will prepare your red blood cells to accept the radioactive tracer, which will be injected about 30 minutes later. This substance will attach itself to your red blood cells so that we can visualize the blood in your heart. After a further wait of about 15 minutes you will be asked to lie down on a table and some electrodes will be attached to your chest. Then a special detector, called a gamma camera, will be placed close to your chest and make images of your heart to determine how well it is functioning.. The entire procedure takes about one hour.

Hepatobiliary study (HIDA)

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Hepatobiliary study (HIDA)”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your liver and gallbladder using a radioactive injection. You will be required to fast for at least 6 hours before this test.

You will be asked to lie down on a table and a special detector, called a gamma camera, will be placed over your abdomen. Then a technologist will inject a radioactive substance into a vein in your arm. The amount of radioactivity injected is very small and will have no adverse effects on you. The camera will take pictures of your liver and/or gallbladder for about one hour. In order to obtain the maximum information from the exam, it may be necessary to take further pictures. Either you will receive an injection of another medication, followed by more pictures for 20 minutes or you will be asked to return for more pictures in 1, 2 and possibly 5 or 24 hours. This will not require another injection.

Lymphoscintigraphy

Your physician has requested an examination called “Lymphoscintigraphy”. This is a simple and painless way localizing lymph nodes in your body, using a radioactive tracer. You may need to be fasting overnight for this procedure if you scheduled for surgery on the same day as your test.

A technologist or physician will inject a small amount of radioactivity under the skin in the area that your doctor is concerned with. A special detector, called a gamma camera, will be positioned close to the parts of your body being studied. Images of the movement of this radioactivity to the first lymph node that drains this site will be done. Usually, this test takes approximately one hour to complete, but can take a little longer if the lymph node is not seen immediately. The technologist will then use a sensitive probe to detect the radioactivity in the lymph node. The technologist will place marks on the skin where the lymph node was found. Later, when you go for surgery, the surgeon will use these marks and another probe to carefully localize the proper lymph node.

Liver Imaging

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Liver scan”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your liver using a radioactive tracer. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

A technologist will inject a radioactive substance into a vein in your arm. This injection is sometimes performed while you are lying down and a special detector, called a gamma camera, has been positioned over your abdomen to take a series of pictures to image the flow of blood to your liver. This takes only a couple of minutes. You will then be asked to wait about 10 minutes while the dye accumulates in your liver. You will experience no reaction to the radioactive substance.

After this short wait, the camera will again be placed over your abdomen. Images will be taken from different angles, for approximately 30 minutes. If it is necessary to proceed to the second part of the examination, using a different radioactive substance, this will be done several days later. The procedure is similar to the one above except that you will receive two injections and the second part of the imaging will be done 2 hours after the injection.

Meckel’s Scan

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Meckel’s Scan”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your abdomen, using a radioactive tracer.

You will need to be fasting for four hours for this test. A technologist will inject a radioactive substance into a vein in your arm. This injection is performed while you are lying down and a special detector, called a gamma camera, has been positioned over your abdomen to take a series of pictures to image the flow of blood to your abdomen. A number of images of your abdomen will be performed, this will take no more than one hour to complete.

MIBG Scan

Your physician has requested an examination called an “MIBG scan”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of various parts of your body using a radioactive tracer. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

A technologist will give you an injection in the arm, containing a small amount of radioactive iodine and tracer. The chance of experiencing a reaction to this injection is very unlikely. You will be given an appointment to return within 24 hours and then again at 48 hours, as it takes time for the iodine to adequately accumulate in the areas to be imaged. You are under no restrictions during this time.

When you return, you will be asked to lie down on a table and a special detector, called a gamma camera, will be placed over your head and will scan your body from head to feet. Sometimes a certain part of your body may be studied in detail with individual pictures. The procedure takes about 60-90 minutes each day. The camera does not produce radiation; it simply picks up signals (gamma rays) from the radioactive iodine which you received.

You may then return home feeling no ill effects from the examination. The results will be sent directly to your physician.

There are certain kinds of medication and x-ray contrast materials which may interfere with the exam. When you are given your appointment, you will be informed which medications that you are taking may need to be stopped for a period of time.

Octreotide Imaging

Your physician has requested an examination called an "Octreotide scan". This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of various parts of your body using a radioactive tracer. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

A technologist will give you an injection containing a small amount of radioactive material. You will experience no reaction. You will be given an appointment to return in 4 and 24 hours, as it takes time for the material to adequately accumulate in the areas to be imaged. You are under no restrictions during this time.

When you return, you will be asked to lie down on a table and a special detector, called a gamma camera, will be placed over your head and will scan your body from head to feet. Sometimes a certain part of your body may be studied in detail with individual pictures. The procedure takes about 1 hour for each visit. The camera does not produce radiation; it simply picks up signals (gamma rays) from the radioactive material which you received.

You may then return home feeling no ill effects from the examination. The results will be sent directly to your physician.

Parathyroid Scan

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Parathyroid scan”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures your parathyroid glands using a radioactive tracer. You do not need to be fasting for this examination. This procedure consists of two parts and takes most of the day to complete.

A technologist will give you a drink of radioactive iodine, containing a small amount of radioactive iodine. You will experience no reactions to this drink. It takes 3-4 hours for the iodine to adequately accumulate in the glands in your neck. You will be asked to return several hours later for a radioactive injection. You are under no restrictions during this waiting period.

Twenty minutes after the injection you will be asked to lie down on a table and a special detector, called a gamma camera, will be placed over your neck area. The technologist will take a ten minute picture of your thyroid and parathyroid glands.

After the first set of pictures, you will be asked to wait an additional 2-3 hours. Again you will be asked to lie down on a table and the technologist will take a ten minute picture of your thyroid and parathyroid glands. The camera will then rotate slowly around your neck and chest area for 15 minutes for the final picture. The camera does not produce radiation; it simply picks up signals (gamma rays) from the radioactive tracers which you received.

You may then return home feeling no ill effects from the examination. The results will be sent directly to your physician.

There are certain kinds of medication and x-ray contrast materials which may interfere with the exam. Therefore, if you are taking medication for your thyroid gland or if you have recently had an x-ray for which a dye was given (e.g. x-ray of the gall bladder) your physician may advise you to stop for a period of time.

Renal Scan

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Renal Scan”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your kidneys using a radioactive dye. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

One hour before leaving home please drink approximately 1 litre (4 cups) of water. You may empty your bladder as required. Please bring a list of all of the medications that you are taking. You may have already been asked to stop taking some of these medications. In the Nuclear Medicine Department, you will be asked to lie down on a table and a special detector, called a gamma camera, will be positioned under the table directly below your kidneys. A technologist will then inject a radioactive substance into a vein in your arm and the camera will take a series of pictures for 30 minutes. After a short wait we will take one more picture of your kidneys. Depending on what information your physician is interested in, a second part may be required.

If it is necessary to proceed to the second part it will be done later that day or even several days later. The procedure is similar to the one above except that when you arrive the technologist will give you a pill to swallow and then your blood pressure will be monitored during the one hour wait. The rest of the procedure is exactly the same as above.

Salivary Scan

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Salivary Scan”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your salivary glands using a radioactive tracer. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

There is no preparation for this test. A technologist will inject a radioactive substance into a vein in your arm. This injection is performed while you are lying down and a special detector, called a gamma camera, has been positioned over your head to take a series of pictures to image the flow of blood to your salivary glands. This test will take approximately one hour to complete.

Schillings Test

Your physician has requested an examination called a “Schillings”. This is a simple and painless way of determining how well your body uses vitamin B12.

You must be fasting for 6 hours before your appointment. You must not take any vitamin B12 for 5 days before your test. A technologist will give you a capsule to swallow. This contains a small amount of radioactive vitamin B12. The technologist will then give you an injection of ordinary vitamin B12 in the arm. There will be no reaction to either the capsule or the injection. If you are hospitalized, the technologist will come to your room to begin the test.

You will then be given a plastic bottle in which to collect all your urine for 24 hours starting immediately, but you must continue to fast for a further two hours. If you are an outpatient you may then return home with the bottle. It is important that the urine collection is complete and that you do not miss any samples. If you should happen to lose some of the urine please let us know when you return the bottle. At the end of the 24 hours please return the bottle of urine to the Nuclear Medicine Department between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Thyroid Studies

Your doctor has requested an examination to study your thyroid gland. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of your thyroid gland using a radioactive material. You do not need to be fasting for this procedure. There are certain medications and X-ray contrast materials which may invalidate the results of a thyroid scan. You will be advised which medications to stop taking when your appointment is given to you.

Important: If you think you may be pregnant or if you are breast feeding, please inform the technologist before you receive your test. Please note that this test normally consists of two parts performed over two consecutive days.

1. Thyroid Function
A technologist will give you a drink containing a small amount of radioactive iodine. The amount of iodine is not enough to taste and you will experience no reaction to it. The amount of radioactivity is also very small and will have no adverse effects on you. You will be given a time to return the following day as it takes about 24 hours for the iodine to adequately accumulate in the thyroid gland. You are under no restrictions during this time.

When you return the next day the technologist will seat you in a chair and place a radiation detector close to your neck for about 5 minutes to measure how much of the iodine has accumulated in the thyroid gland.

2. Thyroid Scan
A technologist will inject a radioactive material into a vein in your arm. After a 10 minute wait you will be asked to lie down on a table and a special detector, called a gamma camera, will be placed over your neck for about 20 minutes to produce pictures of your thyroid gland. Following the entire procedure, a physician will meet with you briefly to examine your thyroid gland and ask you a few questions. You may then return home feeling no ill effects from the examination. The results will be sent directly to your physician.

White Blood Cell Imaging

Your physician has requested an examination called a “White Blood Cell Scan”. This is a 2-day procedure to detect an infection in your body. You are not required to stop taking your medications for this test, but you should bring a list of all medications that you are currently taking. When you arrive for your first appointment, a Nuclear Medicine technologist will greet you and explain the procedure.

The first step involves taking a sample of your blood from a vein in your arm. The technologist will then attach a radioactive tracer to your white blood cells. It will take approximately 2 hours for this to take place. During this time you are free to leave the department and eat or drink if you choose. When you return for the second appointment, a technologist will re-inject your now radioactive white blood cells into a vein in your arm. There are no side effects from this injection. You will then be free for an additional 3-4 hours.

The third appointment for the day involves taking pictures of the area of concern in your body with a special detector, called a gamma camera. These pictures will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

On the second day, you will be required to return for more pictures. These pictures will take an additional 60 minutes to complete. In some cases, it may be necessary to perform a second procedure called a bone scan, to compare with these images.

You may then return home feeling no ill effects from the examination. The results will be sent directly to your physician.

Whole Body Iodine Imaging

Your physician has requested an examination called a “whole body iodine scan”. This is a simple and painless way of taking pictures of various parts of your body using a radioactive tracer. You do not need to be fasting for this examination.

A technologist will give you a drink or a capsule containing a small amount of radioactive iodine. You will not be able to taste the iodine and the amount of radiation is very small. You will experience no reaction. You will be given an appointment to return within 24 to 48 hours, as it takes time for the iodine to adequately accumulate in the areas to be imaged. You are under no restrictions during this time.

When you return, you will be asked to lie down on a table and a special detector, called a gamma camera, will be placed over your head and will scan your body from head to feet. Sometimes a certain part of your body may be studied in detail with individual pictures. The procedure takes about 45 minutes. The camera does not produce radiation; it simply picks up signals (gamma rays) from the radioactive iodine which you received.

You may then return home feeling no ill effects from the examination. The results will be sent directly to your physician.

There are certain kinds of medication and x-ray contrast materials which may interfere with the exam. Therefore, if you are taking medication for your thyroid gland your physician may advise you to stop for a period of time. If you have recently had an x-ray for which a dye was given (e.g. x-ray of the gall bladder) please advise us.