Please report to Admitting 15 minutes before your scheduled exam time.
PREP: No prep.
PURPOSE: Detection and localization of acute and chronic osteomyelitis and other musculoskeletal infections, acute abscesses, and fever of unknown origin.
WHAT TO EXPECT: A blood draw will be done by the technologist. The white blood cells will be centrifuged out of the sample and tagged with a radioactive isotope. The WBC’s will be injected back into your arm. Imaging will take place to localize where the WBC’s accumulate. Imaging will be needed 4 and 24 hours following, and possibly 48 hours after injection.
TIME FRAME: The 4 and (possibly) 48 hour images will take 45 minutes. The 24 hour images can take up to 2 hours.
POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS: Minimal to no side effects from the radioactive isotope.
IF YOU ARE PREGNANT, INFORM THE TECHNOLOGIST BEFORE THE EXAM