Nuclear medicine at Desert Imaging Central

# Nuclear medicine at Desert Imaging Central

At 7812 Gateway Blvd. East, Suite 120, El Paso, TX 79915.

- Address: 7812 Gateway Blvd. East, Suite 120, El Paso, TX 79915. [Get directions](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Desert%20Imaging%2C%207812%20Gateway%20Blvd.%20East%2C%20Suite%20120%2C%20El%20Paso%2C%20TX%2079915)
- Hours: Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Saturday. Closed Sunday.
- Time: Depends on the scan, from 30 minutes to a full day in two visits.

## About this exam

Nuclear medicine uses a tiny amount of a radioactive tracer, given by injection, capsule or breath, that travels to a particular organ. A gamma camera picks up the energy it gives off and turns it into pictures of how that organ is working.

Wear loose clothing. Preparation depends on the scan. Bone, liver and spleen scans need none. Gallbladder, gastric emptying, thyroid uptake and stress tests need an empty stomach, and some need you to hold certain medications. We go over your list when you book.

[Everything about Nuclear medicine](https://desertimagingcenters.com/services/nuclear-medicine)

## Before you come

### All nuclear medicine exams

- Wear loose clothing.

### Bone scan, liver and spleen scan

- No preparation required.
- Bone scan: you get an injection, then come back 2 to 3 hours later for the pictures. Plan on about 4 hours in all.
- Three-phase bone scan: pictures are taken for 10 minutes right after the injection, then again 2 to 3 hours later.
- Liver and spleen scan: about 45 minutes.

### Gastric emptying study

- Nothing to eat or drink after midnight, not even water.
- The sheet says: no Nexium and no insulin.
- Bring a meat burrito with you for the exam.
- The exam takes about 2 hours.

### Hepatobiliary (HIDA) scan

- Nothing to eat or drink for 6 hours before the exam.
- On the day of the exam: no caffeinated or decaffeinated drinks and no gum.
- The sheet says: no high blood pressure medication on the day of the exam.
- The exam can take up to 2 hours.

### Nuclear medicine stress test

- Nothing to eat after midnight. Do not eat for 6 hours before the exam.
- Drink water only. No caffeinated or decaffeinated drinks and no gum.
- The sheet says: no high blood pressure medication on the day of the exam, but bring it with you to take afterward.
- Wear comfortable clothes for exercise: walking or tennis shoes, sweatpants and a shirt.
- Plan on 4 to 5 hours.

### Parathyroid scan

- No calcium supplements on the day of the exam.
- You get an injection, then pictures are taken at 10 minutes and again at 3 hours.

### Renal scan

- Drink plenty of water in the morning before the exam.
- The exam takes about 30 minutes.

### Renal scan with Lasix

- The sheet says: no diuretics or water pills, meaning medication that increases the amount of water the body passes.

### Thyroid uptake and scan

- You take a capsule, then come back 4 hours and 24 hours later for the scan.
- The sheet says: be off thyroid medication for 4 to 6 weeks before the study.
- No iodinated contrast for at least two weeks before the exam.
- Nothing to eat for 6 hours before the exam.
- On the day of the exam: no caffeinated or decaffeinated drinks and no gum.
- The sheet says: no high blood pressure medication on the day of the exam.

## Nuclear medicine at our other centers

Central is the only Desert Imaging center that offers this exam.

## Other exams at Central

- [PET/CT](https://desertimagingcenters.com/locations/central/pet-ct)
- [CT scan](https://desertimagingcenters.com/locations/central/ct-scan)
- [Heart tests](https://desertimagingcenters.com/locations/central/heart-tests)

## Ready to book?

Request an appointment online and bring your doctor's order. We take it from there.

- [Request an appointment](https://eforms.abbadox.com/240384671438865)
- Call (915) 577-0100