Bone Scan

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Your physician has requested a bone scan for you. This exam takes approximately 4 hours to complete. There are no diet restrictions or preparations before the scan. After registration report to Medical Imaging. You will then be escorted to Nuclear Medicine where a short history will be taken.

The procedure is very simple and non-traumatic. It requires that you get an injection in a vein, usually in your arm. The injection contains a small amount of radioactive material. The amount of radiation is about equal to a chest x-ray series. After the injection, you may or may not get a short scan immediately, depending upon the type of bone scan you need. You will then be free to go for 2.5 hours, at which time we will ask you to return to Medical Imaging and report in at the receptionist’s desk. If you elect to depart from the hospital after your injection you may but, please return to Medical Imaging and report in at the receptionist’s desk upon your return. If you are diabetic the wait time between injection and imaging is 4 hours.

During this 2.5 hour time break, you will be asked to drink plenty of fluids and urinate (empty your bladder) as frequently as possible, because the excess radioactive material is excreted in the urine when you use the bathroom. You may also eat during this time if you wish. When you return to Medical Imaging you will be asked to lie down and various images will be taken including a whole body image. Once the scan is completed, the technologist will review the images with the radiologist. More views or additional x-rays may be necessary if not, you will be told that you are free to go. The Radiologist will read the test and the results will be sent to the physician who ordered the test.

We ask you to be on time. Because it is not possible to predict how long each scan will take, there may or may not be waiting periods throughout the study depending upon each patient's needs.

Note: Inpatients will be transported to Nuclear Medicine for imaging.