Patient Instructions

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Instructions


•Comfort - PET scans are completely painless, with no side effects.
•Clothing - Dress comfortably and warmly, as some scanner rooms may be cool.
•Food and Drink - Please call the PET Center for specific instructions.
Generally, you should limit the amount of sugar, caffeine and carbohydrates (pasta, potatoes, rice, bread) the day before the scan and should not consume anything except water for approximately 6 hours prior to the scan.
•Medications - You may take your regularly scheduled medications prior to arriving for your scan, if they can be tolerated on an empty stomach.
•Diabetic - Please speak with the PET center nurse or doctor for specific instructions regarding insulin. Generally, you should test your blood sugar level before the scan; it should be approximately 100-200 mg/dL.
•Procedure - Upon arriving at the PET center, you will receive an injection of radioactive glucose (FDG), which will take approximately 45 minutes to distribute throughout your body. You will be asked to empty your bladder and then lie down on the scanner bed. The scan takes approximately 15-60 minutes, depending upon the type of scan you are having and the type of scanner being used. It is important that you lie still during this process. If you need pain medication, please bring it with you. You should plan on being at the PET center for approximately 2 hours.
•After your scan - Once the PET scan is complete, you will be able to leave the PET center. Make sure you drink plenty of water or other fluids throughout the day to flush the FDG from your body.
•Your PET scan results - The PET scan is interpreted by a trained nuclear medicine physician or radiologist, and results are usually sent to the referring physician within 24-48 hours. You should contact your doctor to discuss the results.