Radiology - Brain Scan - Nuclear Medicine

Please read this leaflet carefully in conjunction with your appointment letter.

Preparation for your scan

• In preparation for your scan, please do not consume alcohol, caffeine or smoke in the 24 hours before your appointment. You should drink plenty before and after your scan. If you are taking any medication, you should continue as normal.
• Please confirm your appointment by leaving a message on our 24-hour answer phone 0161 206 2405. Calls will only be returned if this is requested

Why do I need this scan?

Your doctor has asked us to perform a Brain scan to see the blood supply to your brain. You can choose not to have this test, but we strongly recommend that you should discuss this with your doctor before making a decision.

How is the scan performed?

This test may take around 2 hours to complete.

When you arrive in the department you will be asked to lie still in a darkened room for about 10 minutes before you are given a small injection of a radioactive substance into a vein, usually in the arm. This injection circulates around your body and will allow us to see the blood supply to your brain.

We take a series of pictures, called a scan about 1 hour after your injection. There are no side effects from the injection; it does not make you sleepy or prevent you from driving a car.
 
For the scan, you will usually be asked to lie on an imaging table with your arms down by your side, while a special camera, called a gamma camera, moves around your head and takes pictures.  There is no need to undress.

You will need to remove jewellery, particularly earrings and any metal clips in your hair.

The scan usually takes 40 minutes but can take longer depending on the individual.

Risks and limitations

• If you think you may be pregnant or you are breastfeeding you must contact us before the test date
• You might get a bruise around the injection site
• Side effects are not common, but some people may get a skin rash, a headache, vertigo or dizziness
• You will receive a small radiation dose of about 5 mSv. To put this in perspective, the average radiation dose received from natural background radiation in the UK in one year is just under 3 mSv

After the scan

After the scan, you can eat as normal and should continue to drink plenty of fluids for the rest of the day. This will help to flush the radioactivity from your body. The radioactivity should completely disappear within 24 hours.

Please avoid prolonged close contact with children or pregnant women for the rest of the day. This is to avoid exposing babies and children to unnecessary radiation.

What happens to the results?

A report is sent to the hospital consultant who asked us to do the test. Allow at least 2 weeks for this.

Nuclear medicine staff are not allowed to give patients the result of any tests directly.

Can I bring a friend or relative?

Yes, but they will be asked to remain in the waiting room whilst you are being scanned.

Only essential carers may remain with you. You must let us know before your test date if you require a carer present.

Please, do not bring children or pregnant adults with you as there may be other patients in the department who might expose them to a small but unnecessary amount of radiation.

What if I cannot attend for my appointment?

If you have any questions about your examination or cannot make the appointment, please telephone the helpline on:
0161 206 4861

This is a 24-hour answer phone, but it is usually manned Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4pm.

If you prefer, or are not able to telephone please contact us via email on: radio.isotopes@nca.nhs.uk

Please include your name, address, date of birth and hospital number (if known) on all correspondence.
 
Please help us to cut our waiting lists. If you need to cancel or change your appointment, please call us as soon as you can so that we can use it for another patient.

I need an ambulance, how do I arrange this?

If you need an ambulance, contact:
0161 206 7014 - Salford Residents
0800 032 3240 - Other Areas
Please inform the Nuclear Medicine department if you are arriving by ambulance.

Interpreters

If you need an interpreter for your examination, please call the Nuclear Medicine department so that we can try to arrange this.

Other sources of information

We hope your questions have been answered by this leaflet. For further information regarding nuclear medicine examinations visit the British Nuclear Medicine website: http:www.bnms.org.uk/patientscarers

NHS 111 Service
When less urgent that 999

If you require further information about this test please contact:
Nuclear Medicine,
Salford Royal Hospital
Stott Lane
Salford M6 8HD
Tel: 0161 206 4861