Why is this procedure done?
A gallium scan is a special kind of nuclear medicine test. It helps your doctor look for sites of infection, swelling, or cancer. Your doctor may order this test to look for the cause of unknown fevers. It may also be used to see if a known infection is getting better. Sometimes, this test is done with others to give the doctor 3-D images like they would get from an MRI or CT scan. ‚
What happens before the procedure?
- Your doctor will take your history. Talk to the doctor about:
- All the drugs you are taking. Be sure to include all prescription, over the counter, and herbal supplements. Tell the doctor if you have any drug allergy. Bring a list of drugs you take with you.
- Any allergies and problems that occurred during a previous nuclear medicine exam.
- Any recent illnesses or other medical conditions.
- If it is OK for you to eat or drink before the test.
- If you need to clean out your bowels before this test. You may have to use a laxative or an enema to make sure your bowels are empty.
- If there is a chance that you may be pregnant or if you are breastfeeding. Ask about breastfeeding before or after the test.
- Tell your doctor if you have had recent tests in which you took barium. Also, tell your doctor if you have used Pepto-Bismol.
What happens during the procedure?
There are 2 parts to the scan, the injection and the scan. ‚
- Injection
- Your doctor will inject gallium, also called tracer, into your vein.
- You will feel a sharp prick when you get the injection. The site may be sore for a few minutes.
- The tracer will spread to the areas of swelling. It will also spread to where white blood cells are gathered.
- You may be able to go home after this first part.
- Scan
- Later, you will come back to have the scan done. Most often you come back for your scan 1 to 2 days after the tracer has been injected.
- You will lie on your back for the test. The doctor will run a special camera over your body to detect where the gallium collected.
- There is no pain, and your only job is to hold still.
- Young children may require gentle wrapping or sedation to help them hold still.
- The test will take 1 to 2 hours.
- You may need to come back more than 1 time for scans.
What happens after the procedure?
- You do not need to do anything special at home after a gallium scan.
- The gallium will stay in your body for up to 4 weeks.
- Your urine and blood will be labeled as radioactive if you need other lab tests during the first 4 weeks after the injection.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. Talk to your doctor about when it is safe to breastfeed again. ‚
Where can I learn more?
American College of Radiology ‚
http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=gennuclear ‚
Clinical Center National Institutes of Health ‚
http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/patient_education/procdiag/gallium.pdf ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚