Certain nuclear medicine examinations require special preparations like fasting, but most examinations DO NOT.

You will be asked a few safety questions and you should remove any jewellery or objects that might interfere with scan acquisition.

Patients undergoing cardiac scans should abstain from caffeine (coffee, tea, milo, coke, etc) and be prepared for a treadmill test should you be so advised.

The examination starts with an injection or inhalation of the radiopharmaceutical. Depending on the type of examination, the waiting time between injection and scan acquisition may vary (from 1 to 4 hours average), allowing sufficient time for the radiopharmaceutical to be distributed to the organ of interest. Radiopharmaceuticals may also be introduced as a drink or inhaled. The scan itself may take 10 minutes, or up to an hour.