Other Scans

Kidney Scans
Images how the kidneys are functioning. Can take up to 1 hour. No special preparation for this exam is needed.

Thyroid Scan
This exam evaluates “hot” or “cold” thyroid nodules. Can take up to 1 hour. No special preparation for this exam is needed.

Gastric Emptying Scan
Determines how quickly the stomach empties food. Can take up to 2.5 hours. Nothing to eat or drink 6 hours prior to this exam.

Parathyroid Scan
Checks to see if there is a parathyroid adenoma. Can take up to 3.5 hours. No special preparation for this exam is needed.

If your physician orders a nuclear medicine procedure, insist on ADI

Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear Medicine is a Radiology imaging procedure that is able to image the body on a functional level. Nuclear Medicine utilizes an injected tracer that gives off a small amount of radiation that allows the scanner to image the body. Different tracers are injected that allow the capture of different functions of the body. Typically, there are no side effects to the materials injected for a Nuclear Medicine procedure. The times and patient preparation for each test vary.

Cardiolite® Exam (stress test imaging)
A Cardiolite® exam is a test that is used to check for blockages in the coronary arteries. A Cardiolite® exam consists of two parts, an active phase (stress test) and a resting phase. Typically these are performed on separate days. Both the resting phase and the stress phase consist of an injection of the Cardiolite® medicine into the vein of an arm. It needs to circulate through the body for approximately one hour before the images are acquired. The imaging takes about 15 minutes.

The stress test can consist of walking on a treadmill or a chemical stress test. If the patient is able to walk on a treadmill, they will start walking at a normal pace, with the speed and incline increasing every 3 minutes. We need to get the heart rate up to a target based upon the patient’s age. Once the target heart rate is achieved and the tracer injected, the treadmill is stopped and 30 minutes passes before another set of images are acquired. The images take 15 minutes.

Patients may not have anything to eat or drink 6 hours prior to a stress test. Also, patients need to avoid any foods and drinks that contain caffeine for 24 hours prior to the stress test. Certain blood pressure medications may interfere with a treadmill stress test. Please check with your referring physician to make sure your medicines are okay. A physician will be present during all stress tests to monitor the electrocardiogram.

Bone Scan
A bone scan is a test that checks for a variety of bone diseases, including cancer, stress fractures, fractures, and bone infection. A bone scan consists of an injection of a small amount of a radioactive substance similar to calcium that attaches to the bone. The tracer needs to circulate through the body for approximately 3 hours before the images are obtained. You are free to leave the imaging center during the 3 hours. The images will take about 45 minutes upon returning. There is no special preparation for a bone scan and we encourage ample hydration for the scan.

Hepatobiliary Scan (Hida Scan)
A Hida scan is an exam which allows for the determination of the functioning of the gallbladder. Typically an ultrasound can be done prior to a Hida scan. A Hida scan consists of an injection through an I.V. of a small amount of a radioactive tracer which allows the camera to see the process of the liver producing bile (which is what the gallbladder stores). It takes about 1 hour for this process to occur. Images will be performed during this time. Once the gallbladder is filled with bile, a second injection will be given of an enzyme which the body naturally produces. This is infused slowly over 15 minutes. Images are acquired for up to 45 minutes during the second part of this exam to image the gallbladder working. A computer program is then run to calculate how well the gallbladder is functioning. From start to finish, this exam will take about 2 hours. A DVD can be brought and watched during this exam. No food or drink for 6 hours prior to the exam.

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