Gallium Scan

A gallium test usually requires two or three visits to the nuclear medicine department. During the first visit, the radiologist will inject gallium into a vein in your arm. During the second visit, one or two days later, the nuclear medicine team will:

• Have you remove your clothes and wear a hospital gown
• Ask you to take off any metal, such as jewelry
• Instruct you to lie down on a table
• Move the camera around your body slowly and closely to take pictures. (The camera doesn’t release radiation; it just searches for radiation from the gallium in your body)
• Tell you to move into different positions and hold still

The process usually takes about an hour. The team may ask you to come back again in a day or two for a third visit to repeat the pictures.

Clothing
Please remove any metal objects/jewelry and change into the gown provided

Medications
Your physician may want you to stop using certain medications prior to the exam. Please consult with your physician about this.

Food and Drink
Your physician may ask you to take a laxative before the test

The benefits of a Gallium Scan:
A Gallium scan can help diagnose cancer, infection, inflammatory conditions and more.

Risks you should be aware of:

Rarely, the injection can cause an allergic reaction, such as a skin rash or nausea.

The small amount of radioactive material in your body will decrease over the next few days as it leaves your body through urine and stool. To protect other people from the radioactive material, be careful when going to the bathroom:

• Carefully clean up any splashes
• Flush the toilet twice
• Wash your hands thoroughly

Your healthcare provider may ask you to drink a lot of fluids to help your body rid itself of the radioactive agent faster. If you are traveling within three months of a gallium scan, you may need a special letter from your healthcare provider. Some airports have very sensitive detectors that can detect any trace of gallium left in your body.