Medical Imaging
PET/CT Exams

PET/CT exams are provided every Wednesday at Meriter Hospital. PET/CT combines the functional information from a positron emission tomography (PET) exam with anatomical information from a computed tomography (CT x-ray) exam into a single exam. PET/CT is safe and painless. The positron emitter is a radioactive material and reactions are rare. However, prior to the administration of any radioactive material it is important to know, and tell your physician and the PET/CT Technologist, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Special precautions or a delay in performing your procedure may be necessary.

Why This Procedure is Done: A PET/CT helps your physician diagnose a problem. It also helps to predict the likely outcome of various therapeutic alternatives, pinpoint the best approach to treatment and monitor your progress. Ask your physician what he or she hopes to learn from your PET/CT exam.

Preparation: Preparation is very important. You will receive information in the mail and a medical imaging scheduler will call prior to the procedure to review the preparation procedure.

• Do not eat or drink anything other than water for 4-6 hours prior to your exam. It could interfere with the results; do not even chew gum.
• If you take medications, drink only enough plain water to swallow them.
• If you have been advised not to take your medications on an empty stomach, eat nothing more than a few soda crackers within the 4-6 hours prior to your exam.
• If you are a diabetic, advance notice is required so we can work with your physician to determine the safest possible way for you to prepare for your exam.
• Please alert the Technologist if you feel feverish.

How the Procedure is Performed: For the PET portion of the exam, you will receive an injection of a radioactive material. The radioactive material used for PET scans lose their radioactivity very quickly (2 minutes to 2 hours) and only very small amounts are injected. In all cases, little or no radioactivity will remain in your body 10 minutes to 6 hours after the injection. For most studies, you will have to wait for the radioactive material to distribute itself – typically 30-60 minutes. During this time you will be asked to relax.

For the exam you will be placed on a comfortable table and asked to lie very still. The table will move slowly through a tubular structure (scanner) as it acquires the information needed to generate diagnostic images. The PET portion of the exam detects changes in cellular function – how your cells are utilizing nutrients like sugar and oxygen. The CT cross sectional images combined with the information from the PET scan provides more anatomic details of the metabolic changes in your body.

How Long the Procedure Takes: Please allow approximately 2-3 hours for your appointment. The PET/CT scan usually takes 30-45 minutes. The length of the scan is determined by your history and the requirements of the Radiologist reading your exam.

3/2/2007