Preparing for your PET/CT scan
Duration:
Duration: 1.5–2 hours (Includes approximately 1 hour uptake time)
Type:
Type: Positron Emission Tomography (PET/CT) using ionising radiation
Prep:
Fast, dress warm, drink water, avoid strenuous activity for 24 hours
Notes:
Please allow plenty of time for parking. The radioactive injection decays quickly, and late arrival may result in your scan needing to be rebooked.
Preparation
- Fast for 6 hours prior to your appointment
- Blood sugar level must be below 10 mmol/L (If you are diabetic, please inform bookings)
- Wear warm clothing without metallic zips or buttons
- Drink 1 litre of plain water 1 hour before your exam time
- Avoid strenuous activity (e.g. gardening or exercise) for 24 hours before your appointment
PSMA patients only:
- Fast for 2 hours
- Drink 1 litre of plain water 1 hour before the exam
What Happens When You Arrive
We want you to feel comfortable and prepared for your scan. Here’s what to expect.
- When you arrive, a nuclear medicine technologist will take your medical history and record your height, weight, and blood sugar level.
- If your clothing contains metal, you will be asked to change into a gown, which we will provide.
- Once you are prepared, a cannula will be inserted and a radioactive tracer will be injected through it.
- You will then wait for approximately 1 hour in an uptake room while the tracer circulates through your body.
During your scan
- Once the tracer has attached, you will proceed to the scanner. The scan usually takes 10–30 minutes, depending on your doctor’s referral.
- Remaining still during the scan is important to ensure clear images.
- Please listen carefully for any breathing instructions from the technologist.
- Some scans use an iodine contrast injection. You may experience a warm sensation (hot flush) or a metallic taste in your mouth — these sensations are common and normal.
- Approximately 15 minutes after the contrast injection the technologist will remove your cannula and you are free to go about your day as normal.
Further reading
Why choose GMI for your PET scan
GMI’s brand-new Siemens Healthineers Biograph Trinion PET/CT scanner at Turner fully integrates best-in-class hardware and software to create one high-performance platform.
CT stands for Computed Tomography. This technique uses x-rays to make cross sectional images of the body. A CT image is typically thought of as a slice of the body and allows the radiologist to look inside the body. CT scans may image any part of the body.
GMI is proud to introduce the NAEOTOM Alpha.Prime, delivering breakthrough CT technology to ACT region. Pioneered by Siemens Healthineers, the sole provider of photon counting CT technology, introduces a new benchmark in medical imaging, offering unmatched clarity, consistency, and diagnostic confidence.
This launch reflects GMI’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge healthcare solutions and expanding access to transformative technologies in the region.
Learn more about the NAEOTOM Alpha.Prime
We’re trusted by Canberra’s leading specialists and elite athletes because we deliver exceptional results. Our deep experience covers every type of CT scan, with particular expertise in:
- Musculoskeletal imaging
- Cardiac studies
- Neurological scans
- Interventional procedures
Our radiologists are specialists in a full range of CT guided interventional procedures such as facet joint, nerve root/neuroforaminal and epidural injections of all spine levels.
Our Aquilion Prime 160 slice CT scanner’s new technology means we can deliver a report that provides you with the answers you need at the lowest possible x-ray dose (reducing current doses by up to 75%). It has a wide (780mm) bore, which is far more comfortable, particularly if you are ill or have impaired mobility.
The fast scan speed results in shorter scan times and also minimises any discomfort, providing the maximum amount of diagnostic information.
GMI has SEMAR (Single Energy Metal Artefact Reduction). This acquisition and processing method removes artefact from metal objects (artefact is the black blurred out area) Images on the left show utilise SEMAR, whereas the images on the right don’t.
SEMAR (Single Energy Metal Artefact Reduction).