I Had a Bone Scan Can I Be by a Newborn Baby After

Os scan

A bone scan looks for changes in your bones.

Before the test you accept a radioactive tracer injection into your bloodstream. You take this through a tube (cannula) into a vein in your mitt. It takes 2 to 3 hours for the tracer to go around the trunk.

To have the scan you prevarication downward on a couch while the scanner takes pictures. The scan takes 30 minutes to an hour. It is painless and you can become dwelling subsequently the scan. The body gets rid of the tracer through your urine over the next twenty-four hour period.

A os browse shows up changes or abnormalities in the bones. It is also chosen:

a radionuclide scan
bone scintigraphy
nuclear medicine bone scan

A os browse tin look at a particular joint or bone. In cancer it is more usual to scan the whole body.

A large photographic camera (called a gamma camera) scans you and picks upward radioactivity.

Y'all take the scan in either the medical physics, nuclear medicine or x-ray department at the hospital. The scan can accept between thirty to sixty minutes, but you'll be at the hospital for several hours.

If there are changes on the scan they may be called hot spots. These are non e'er cancer. Bone changes can happen for other reasons like arthritis. Yous might need to have a CT scan to know exactly where these abnormal areas are.

Preparing for your os browse

Yous can eat and potable commonly before your scan. Accept your medicines as normal unless your physician tells you otherwise.

Phone the department where you are having the scan if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Y'all might take to cease breastfeeding for a brusk period of time after having the scan. So you lot might want to shop plenty expressed milk for 1 or 2 feeds beforehand. The staff at the section will propose you.

Y'all take to arrive at the infirmary about four hours earlier your scan. Your appointment alphabetic character volition tell you the exact fourth dimension.

Tell the section beforehand if you have difficulties passing urine, demand to laissez passer urine urgently, or take prostate related problems.

What happens

At the hospital

When you go far at the department the radiographer explains what volition happen and asks you to sign a consent form. You lot can ask them questions if anything is unclear.

They give you an injection of a radioactive liquid called a radionuclide or radioactive tracer. They inject information technology through a small tube (cannula) in a vein in your arm or back of your hand. It's a minor amount of radiation.

Yous might have a exam scan immediately after the injection, merely unremarkably you wait 2 to three hours while the radioactive tracer travels through the blood and collects in your bones.

The radioactive tracer tends to collect more in areas where the os is breaking down and repairing itself. These areas of action (called hot spots) show up on the scan. They look darker than other areas of bone.

Waiting for the scan

Your radiographer asks you lot to drink enough while y'all expect for your scan. This flushes the radioactive tracer around your torso. If yous have bug with passing urine you might get different instructions.

Yous might be able to have a walk in the infirmary grounds while y'all are waiting. Or yous may need to wait in a carve up surface area with other people having nuclear medicine tests. Because of the small amount of radiation from the radioactive tracer you might demand to use separate labelled toilets.

Take a look at this brusque video about having a os scan.

Transcript

A bone browse looks for abnormal areas in your bones. Before your browse you have an injection of a pocket-size amount of radioactive substance. This is not enough to be harmful.

After the injection you can leave the section for a couple of hours. This allows the substance time to go to your basic. The nurse will tell you when to return to the section.

While you lot are abroad beverage a couple of extra pints of water to flush the injection through your torso. Before the scan you will demand to empty your bladder.

The camera passes very close to y'all simply doesn't touch you. Information technology takes a series of pictures.

The radioactive substance helps to prove up abnormalities in the bone. These could be a number of unlike conditions including cancer and fractures.

The scan takes between 30 minutes and an hour. You lot tin can leave once information technology's finished.

The small amount of radioactivity left in your trunk disappears within the side by side 24 hours. And then during this fourth dimension avoid shut contact with babies, children and meaning women.

You lot commonly get the results within a couple of weeks.

Having the bone browse

You unremarkably habiliment your ain clothes for the browse but some hospitals may inquire you to change into a hospital gown. Your radiographer will ask y'all to empty your pockets and remove whatever metallic objects such as keys, coins, belts, braces and jewellery.

You lie down on a burrow and have to keep very still while you go through the scanner. The camera takes pictures of the bones in your whole torso.

Let your radiographer know beforehand if you recall this will be a problem for you lot. Tell them if you kickoff to experience closed in or claustrophobic. They can help to reassure you lot.

The scan tin can take betwixt 30 minutes to an hour.

After your bone scan

You should be able to go habitation soon afterward the scan. You lot need to drink enough for the rest of the solar day to aid flush the radioactive tracer out of your trunk. Your body gets rid of it through the urine, ordinarily within 24 hours.

A very small corporeality of radioactive tracer is left in your body for a short time after your scan. So for the rest of the twenty-four hour period proceed any time you spend within arm's length of meaning women, babies or young children equally short as possible.

Air travel later a bone scan

Airports have sensitive radiations monitors which might selection upwards the trace of radiation later your test. Equally a precaution accept your date letter with you if yous're travelling within a week of your scan. Then you tin can show the staff that the radioactivity is due to a scan.

Possible risks

A bone browse is a safe test for most people just like all medical tests in that location are possible risks. Your medico and radiographer make sure the benefits of having the test outweigh these risks.

Bruising and swelling

You lot might get a small-scale trample around the surface area where they put the needle in.

At that place is a hazard that the radioactive tracer volition leak exterior the vein. This can cause swelling and pain in your arm, merely it'due south rare and gets amend speedily.

Pregnancy

Contact the department if yous are due to have a bone scan and you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The staff will tell you if you need to stop breastfeeding for a time later on having the radioactive tracer.

You might not be able to have a bone browse if there is a possibility that you might be pregnant. This is because the radioactive tracer could affect the developing baby.

Radiation

Exposure to radiation during a bone browse can slightly increase your chance of developing cancer in the future. Talk to your dr. or radiographer if this worries you lot.

Getting your results

Your browse will exist looked at by a specialist dr. and yous should get your results within ane or 2 weeks. You won't get whatsoever results at the time of the scan.

Waiting for results can make yous broken-hearted. Enquire your doctor or nurse how long it will take to get them. Contact them if you haven't heard annihilation afterwards a couple of weeks.

You lot might accept the contact details for a specialist nurse. Yous tin can contact them for information and support if you need to. It may help to talk to a close friend or relative about how you feel.

For information and support, you can also call the Cancer Enquiry Great britain nurses on freephone 0808 800 4040. The lines are open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

More information

We have more information on tests, treatment and back up if you have been diagnosed with cancer.

I Had a Bone Scan Can I Be by a Newborn Baby After

Source: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/tests/bone-scan