# PET/CT 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: About 30 minutes of scanning, about an hour in all.

## About this exam

PET/CT joins two scans in one machine. PET, positron emission tomography, uses a small amount of a radioactive tracer to show how active cells are. CT shows exactly where things are. Together they point to disease that may not show on either scan alone.

Arrive an hour before your scan time. Nothing to eat for 6 hours before, water only, and no gum, mints, cough drops or cough syrup, even sugar-free. If you have diabetes, check with your doctor about your medication, because blood sugar has to be below a set level for the pictures to read correctly.

[Everything about PET/CT](https://desertimagingcenters.com/services/pet-ct)

## Before you come

### All PET/CT exams

- Arrive one hour before your exam time for preparation.
- No cough drops, cough syrup, breath mints, chewing gum or anything with sugar, including sugar-free products.
- The sheet says: if you are diabetic, check with your doctor. Your blood sugar needs to be below a certain level during the exam.
- Bring any prescription medicine to take after the exam is complete.

### Morning appointments

- Nothing to eat after midnight. Drink water only.
- The sheet says: if you are diabetic, do not take diabetic medication on the day of the exam.

### Afternoon appointments

- Do not eat for 6 hours before the exam. Drink water only.
- You may eat a light breakfast that is low in carbohydrates and sugar on the day of the exam, but no coffee and no fruit.

## PET/CT at our other centers

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

## Other exams at Central

- [CT scan](https://desertimagingcenters.com/locations/central/ct-scan)
- [Nuclear medicine](https://desertimagingcenters.com/locations/central/nuclear-medicine)
- [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