Nuclear Medicine • Gallium Scans

This is a specific examination performed for lung inflammation, lymphoma follow-up and localization of possible infection. No preparation is needed for this study.

Following registration you will be taken to the nuclear medicine department. Here you will receive an injection of the medicine (radiopharmaceutical) into an arm vein. You will then leave the department and return to home or work. No images are taken initially. If the abdomen is to be imaged, then a bowel prep is needed. Prep kits can be obtained at the plaza pharmacy. The prep includes 1 bottle of magnesium citrate to be taken at the day before imaging at noon. Then 3 Dulcolax tablets taken at 3:00 pm and nothing is eaten by mouth after midnight. Enemas until clear are given the morning which images are to be obtained. Images are taken at 24, 48, and 72 hours depending on the indication for the study. All of this will be explained in detail by the technologist and if you have any questions you can call 876-2366.

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