What is PET?
Your physician has ordered a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan for you. PET images can provide important information about many conditions affecting the heart, brain, and other organs, which will help your doctor plan appropriate treatment for you.

PET images are different than those from more conventional imaging equipment, such as X-Ray, CT, Ultrasound, or MRI. These images show what the tissue looks like. PET images contain information about tissue function.

Can I Eat or Drink Before My Scan?
You should not have anything to eat or drink for at least 4 hours prior to coming to your PET scan.

How Much Time Should I Allow?
You can expect to be in the PET center for one and a half to three hours. The actual scan itself takes far less time.

How Does the Procedure Work?
To begin the procedure, a small amount of radioactive glucose is injected into your bloodstream.

There is no danger to you from this injection. Glucose (also known as sugar) is a common substance every cell in your body needs in order to function. Radioactive glucose must pass multiple quality control measures before it is used for any patient injection. The radiation exposure associated with PET is similar to that associated with a conventional CT scan.

After the injection, you will wait approximately an hour, while the injected material is distributed throughout the body. Then, you will be asked to lie on the table that passes slowly through the scanner.  

What Should I Do to Prepare?
For your comfort and peace of mind, please be sure to:

• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant, or if you are a nursing mother.
• Wear comfortable clothing.
• Tell your doctor if you are diabetic. Diabetic patients need to regulate their glucose as close to normal as possible because the glucose in the blood competes with the radioactive glucose that we will be administering. The blood glucose level needs to be less than 200 at the time of your scan. If you take insulin it must be taken at least 4 hours prior to your scan. If your glucose levels are over 200, please contact the PET Imaging Center prior to coming for your scan so we can work with you and your physician to obtain a high quality scan.
• Wear your hearing aid, glasses, or dentures to the PET center. However, leave valuables at home or in your patient room.
• Take any prescribed medications on the day of your test unless instructed not to do so. If you need to take medications, they can be taken with a small amount of water. If there are medications that need to be taken with food, you may have a few saltine crackers.
• You should bring medications for pain, anxiety, or claustrophobia if you need them. If you will need any medications for anxiety or claustrophobia please bring someone with you to drive you home.
• Avoid all beverages with caffeine and sugar.
• If you have any questions about your preparation for your scan, please let us know.

How Will I Feel Afterward?
You should feel fine. There are no side-effects from the injected tracer. If you have a heart scan, you may feel flushed afterward.

About the Scan

• Safe.
• Can be performed in about 2 hours as an outpatient procedure.

How Do I Get a PET Scan?

• Whole-body PET scans can be ordered by any physician involved in your care.
• The studies are read shortly after the PET scan is completed and patients can expect verbal reports to be available to their physicians within 24 hours of the study.