Radiology - White Blood Cell Scan - Nuclear Medicine

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

Why do I need this scan?

Your doctor has asked us to perform a white blood cell scan to look for possible sites of infection or inflammation in your body.

You can choose not to have this test, but we strongly recommend that you should discuss this with your doctor before making a decision.

Preparation for your scan

Please confirm your appointment by leaving a message on our 24-hour answer phone 0161 206 2405.

Calls will only be returned if requested.

Your appointment time cannot be changed, and you MUST arrive on time for your appointment. If you arrive late your test may be cancelled.

There is no special preparation required for your scan, however you should drink plenty before and after your scan.

If you are taking any medication, you should continue as normal.

How is the scan performed?

This test takes two days to complete and is usually performed on an outpatient basis.

Day 1

You must arrive for a 7:15am appointment time.

We will collect 80ml of blood from a vein, usually in your arm.

Your blood will then be transported to another hospital where they will extract the white cells from this blood and label them with a radioactive substance to allow us to detect the cells with our special camera, called a gamma camera. This process can take about 5 hours, during this time you will be able to leave the department and will be free to eat and drink. We will tell you what time to come back for the injection.

Your labelled blood cells will then be injected back into a vein. These cells travel to any areas of infection or inflammation in your body and allow us to image these areas later in the day.

Side effects are rare; the injection does not make you sleepy or prevent you from driving a car.

The pictures (scans) are usually taken at about 1, 3 and 24 hours after the injection and may also include a low dose CT scan.

For these scans, you will need to lie on an imaging table with your arms down by your side, while the scan is performed.  Usually there is no need to undress. You will need to remove jewellery, keys, or other metallic objects from your person/pockets.

As previously, you will be able to leave the department between these scans.

Each scan generally takes about 30 minutes but can take longer depending on the individual.

You will be reminded what time to return the next day for the third and final scan.

Day 2

The appointment should take no more than 1 hour and the scan will be a repeat of the scan performed on Day 1, no preparation needed.

Having the scans does not hurt, but it is important that you keep still. If you are in pain, please tell us and we will try to make you as comfortable as possible.

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 blood sample or injection site
• Side effects rare, but some people may get a skin rash, a headache, upset stomach, vertigo, or dizziness
• You will receive a small radiation dose of about 5 mSv, which is similar to that of a barium meal. To put this in perspective the average radiation dose received from natural background radiation in the UK in one year, which 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 remove the radioactivity from your body. The radioactivity should completely disappear within 36 hours.

Please avoid prolonged close contact with children or pregnant women for the rest of the day that you have the injection. 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 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 are unable to make the appointment, please telephone the help line on 0161 206 4861. This is a 24-hour answer phone but is usually manned Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.

If you prefer, or are not able to telephone please contact us via email at 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, call us as soon as you can so that we can give it to somebody else.

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 a translator for your examination, please contact 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/page/PatientsCarers

If you require further information about this test, please contact:

Nuclear Medicine,Salford Royal Hospital, Stott Lane, Salford, M6 8HD
Telephone 0161 206 4861