How long does the material stay in my body? It depends on the isotope that is being used for your scan. The most commonly used radioisotopes will have left your body within 1 day. Others might take 3 days, and some might take few weeks.
If possible, do not hold your baby for long periods of time for the first 6 hours after your nuclear medicine test.
Yes, you can be around pregnant women and children after most nuclear medicine scans. Almost all of the radiation will be gone from your body by the morning after your scan. We recommend you avoid spending extended hours in close proximity with pregnant women and small children, such as sleeping overnight next to them.
The patient should not be around babies or small children for the rest of the day because of residual radiation from your exam. Avoid medications such as nitroglycerin, theophylline, isosorbide, PDE-t inhibitors if undergoing a regadenoson stress test.
You can leave immediately. Your activity will not be restricted. You may resume your normal diet, exercise, and take all prescribed medications. If you plan to travel within 2 weeks of your nuclear stress test, let us know so we can give you a note.
Generally there is no risk in exposing others to meaningful amounts of radioactivity from diagnostic Nuclear Medicine imaging exams. Patients undergoing therapeutic procedures in Nuclear Medicine will have specific guidelines to follow.
Take a Radiation-Neutralizing Bath Following Your Scan
Dissolve one to two pounds of salt with one to two pounds of baking soda in a hot bath, and soak for 40 minutes. Radiation is acidifying to the body, while a salt and baking soda soak is highly alkaline, which helps to neutralize radiation's effect.
For the most part, nuclear scans are safe tests. The doses of radiation are very small, and the radionuclides have a low risk of being toxic or causing an allergic reaction. Some people may have pain or swelling at the site where the material is injected into a vein.
Friends/family are welcome to accompany you to the office but are not allowed in the testing area due to our privacy policy. In the testing room, a nurse or technician will start an intravenous line, or IV, in your arm and will administer a small amount of radioactive tracer.
Males over 250 pounds and females over 200 pounds will have the test done in two days. The first day will usually be the stress portion (plan on two hours). The second day is the resting portion and no restrictions for caffeine or beta blockers are required (plan on at least one hour).
The technologist will let you know when you are to have your 2nd set of pictures. ‐ If you have to wait longer than an hour you may get something to eat and drink. After your stress test you are allowed to have caffeine containing products.
Avoid contact with infants, children, and women who are pregnant for a specific amount of time. Avoid contact with pets for a specific amount of time. Avoid public transportation for a specific amount of time. Plan to stay home from work, school, and other activities for a specific amount of time.
There is no need to avoid being with other people because of your treatment. Even hugging, kissing or having sexual relations poses no radiation exposure risk for others. Side effects of radiation therapy most often are related to the area that is being treated.
By measuring the behavior of the radionuclide in the body during a nuclear scan, the healthcare provider can assess and diagnose various conditions, such as tumors, infections, hematomas, organ enlargement, or cysts. A nuclear scan may also be used to assess organ function and blood circulation.
Once you have exercised as much as you can, we will give you a second injection of the tracer so we can see the stress blood flow to your heart muscle. It is normal to feel tired, short of breath, heaviness of the legs while exercising.
Low risk (score > 5) indicates a 5-year survival of 97%. Intermediate risk (score between 4 and -11) indicates 5-year survival of 90%. High risk (score < -11) indicates 5-year survival of 65%. In high-risk patients, 74% had 3-vessel or left main occlusive coronary disease on angiography.
It's important that you not consume any caffeine for a full 24-hour period prior to your appointment. This includes coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, and certain migraine medications that contain caffeine. Caffeine can inhibit the medication needed for the stress portion of the test to be effective.
Don't eat anything the night before the test, and avoid any foods that contain caffeine for a full day beforehand. You'll have to skip your morning cup of coffee or tea, and avoid sodas and chocolate. Your doctor will let you know if you need to stop taking any of your medicines before the test.
If you had intravenous contrast, you should drink at least eight glasses of water throughout the day to help flush the contrast out of your body. Your doctor will receive the results within 48 hours.
Nuclear stress tests also involve significant radiation exposure (equivalent to 400 chest x-rays!) and may contribute to as many as 491 additional cancer cases annually.
The Nuclear Medicine Stress Test takes approximately four hours to complete. You are encouraged to bring a book, or some other means to pass the time quietly. You will be able to drive yourself home after the test is completed. Wear loose comfortable clothing with walking or tennis shoes.