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This study is designed to see if there are any abnormal tissues present in your abdomen and pelvis.
On your arrival in the department, the procedure will be explained to you. You will be asked to read and sign a consent form prior to the test. If you agree to go ahead with the test, we will take a small blood sample to test for HAMA (a type of antibody). Then an antibody labelled with a small amount of radioactivity will be injected into a vein in your arm or back of the hand.
About 1 hour later, we will do a scan. The scans will be repeated at 48 and 72 hours post injection. The scan carried out at 48 hours will also look at the blood vessels in your pelvis, and to do this we will inject a substance into a vein, which diffuses into your red blood cells. About 30 - 45 minutes later we will inject a different radioactive tracer into another vein. This will bind to the red cells and enable us to image your blood vessels. The scan will be carried out 10 minutes later.
Prior to each scan you will be asked to remove clothing and metal objects, which also includes rings on your fingers, and to change into a hospital gown. You will also be asked to empty your bladder. For each scan, you will be required to lie down on a couch, and pictures will be taken of your body using a gamma camera. Firstly, pictures of your pelvis will be taken when the camera moves around that part of your body. This scan lasts 60 minutes. Further pictures of your pelvis and chest will be taken with the camera placed over these regions. Prior to these pictures you will be asked to again empty your bladder. Each picture takes 5-10 minutes. In order to get good quality pictures, the camera will be close and you will have to remain still.
We would prefer you not to bring more than one person with you. It is advisable not to have a pregnant woman or a small child with you. This is to avoid exposing them to unnecessary radiation. It is also preferable to avoid prolonged close contact (hugging a child / sitting a child on your knee for more than half an hour) for the rest of the day.
You should not have this test if you are allergic to foreign protein (such as having bad skin reaction after a vaccination) or if you have severe allergies. Please inform us well in advance so that we can cancel the appointment in good time. Otherwise, you may eat, drink, and take your medication as normal.
The needle prick from the injection may hurt a little. Our doctors will be available during your stay in the department to answer any queries and to provide medical cover in case of any side effect from the injection we give you (please note that side effects are extremely rare).
The amount of radioactivity you receive in this study is strictly within the recommended national level. At this level, the benefit to you from a diagnosis of your condition outweighs the risk (negligible) of any harm associated with the radiation you will receive.
You may eat as normal. The more fluid you drink the better, as the radioactivity is passed out in the urine. No extra precautions need to be taken when passing urine.
The Nuclear Medicine doctor will report on the study and the result will be sent to the doctor who requested the study. He/she will be able to discuss the results with you in relation to other tests you may have had.