If there is a possibility of pregnancy or breastfeeding, please inform the technologist prior to the date of your examination.
Preparation
| Take nothing to eat or drink after midnight, the evening before the exam. Prior to this procedure you may not have: | |
| • X-Ray or CT contrast media for 4 months • Synthroid medication for 6 weeks • Armour Thyroid for 6 weeks |
• Cytomel for 2 weeks • Tapazole/Methimazole for 5 days • PTU (Propylthiouracil) for 3-5 days |
What to expect
Nuclear Medicine images are achieved by visualizing the structure of the thyroid gland through the use of radioactive materials.
On the day of your appointment, you will need to make two trips to the clinic for this study. The initial visit will involve receiving a capsule of a small amount of radioactive material. The second visit will occur three hours later, at which time the images and uptake will be taken.
On the day of your exam
Please arrive approximately 15 minutes prior to your appointment time to allow for parking and registration. If you bring friends or family to the appointment they will be asked to have a seat in a waiting room during your test. Children cannot be left unattended during the test, so please arrange for a caregiver.
The procedure
Initial visit: Your medical history will be taken and you will be given a capsule to swallow. This will take approximately 15 minutes. You are then free to leave the clinic. You may eat and drink one hour after this capsule is given.
Second visit: You will be assisted onto a table and instructed to lie still as images are taken. You will then be escorted to another room where your thyroid uptake will be measured. You should plan to spend about one hour in here for this portion of the exam. You may need to return for a 24-hour uptake the next day for approximately 15 min.
Results
Our radiologist will study your examination and a report will be forwarded to your practitioner, from whom you may obtain the results. If you have any questions regarding this procedure, please contact our department at at 608-342-4745.
Your Appointment
The radiology department will call you the day before the test to notify you with the time of your appointment. If you cannot be reached before 10 pm the test will be cancelled.
Date of appointment _______________________________________
Your procedure will be performed at Southwest Health at 1400 Eastside Road – Platteville, WI 53818. Please use the Main Hospital Entrance and check in at the Registration Desk prior to your scheduled procedure.
If you cannot keep your appointment please contact the radiology department at 608-342-4745 so that me may accommodate another patient.
NOTE: It may take 2-3 days to obtain verification from your insurance company for exams that require prior authorization, such as CT, MRI, Nuclear Stress, Injections, etc.