Exam Preps

Nuclear Medicine

What is Nuclear Medicine?
Nuclear Medicine is a medical specialty that uses small amounts of
radioactive compounds to diagnose or treat disease.

Please refer to these instructions when preparing for a scheduled exam.

Gastric Emptying

• Nothing to eat or drink after midnight.

Hida Scans (GB Scan)

• Nothing to eat or drink after midnight.

Thyroid Scans & Uptake (I-131, I-123)

• Patient needs to be off all thyroid hormones for 6 weeks prior to exam.
• Uptake should not be done within 4-6 weeks of inorganic iodine administration (i.e., radiographic contrast agents, expectorants containing iodine, Lugol's solution, etc.).
• Nothing to eat or drink after midnight.

Meckels Scan

• Nothing to eat or drink after midnight.

Urea Breath Test (H-Pylori)

• Discontinue antibiotics 1 month prior to exam.
• Patient should be off proton pump inhibitors and sulfate for 2 weeks before the test (i.e. Prilosec, Prevacic or Carafate).
• No food or drink 6 hours before the test.
• Discontinue Rolaids, Tums, Mylanta, Maalox, Kaopectate 2 weeks prior to exam.