A small amount of radioactivity is used to obtain pictures which will help your doctor understand your child's illness.
For most tests, the radioactive dose is injected into a vein in the arm. For some tests the dose is given as a drink. You may then have to wait before pictures are taken with a gamma camera. The wait depends upon the type of scan. It varies between a few minutes and three hours. If your appointment letter tells you that there is more than one hour to wait, you may be able to leave the department during this interval.
It takes about thirty minutes to take the pictures. During the scan your child will have to lie on a bed or sit in a chair. She (or he) does not need to take off any clothes. After the scan you can go home.
For most scans you do not need to do anything special. Your child can eat and drink as normal before coming and between the injection and scan. Your appointment letter will tell you if you have to do something different from this.
For most tests there is no need to change any regular treatment. If she (or he) does need to stop taking a drug, your letter will tell you.
Only the 'pinprick' of the injection may hurt a bit. You may have had a blood test in the past. This is much the same effect. She (or he) will not feel ill-effects from the injection. It does not make her/him sleepy. You can stay with your child all the time.
No. The amount of radiation your child receives is small. It is similar to that from an X-Ray examination.
She/he may eat, drink and go where you wish. She/he may be asked to drink more than usual for the rest of the day. This is to help wash the radioactivity out of her body. The rest will disappear naturally.
A report is sent to the doctor who asked us to do the scan.
If you have any other questions, please ask the staff in the Medical Physics Department. You can telephone, or ask before the scan starts.
Regional Medical Physics Department, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)191-233-6161 E-mail: webmaster@rmpd.org.uk Web: http://www.rmpd.org.uk
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Regional Medical Physics Department, a Clinical Directorate of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
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