What is it?

This test identifies injury or disease in bones and joints.

What do I need to do?

Please bring a valid OHIP Card to your appointment. If you do not have an OHIP Card, please bring another form of government issued ID such as (Drivers License, Passport, or another provincial health card). Please also bring a signed requisition from your physician and arrive 15 minutes before your appointment to check in. The receptionist will verify your information and admit you for the procedure.

There are no special preparations for this procedure.

What can I expect the day of the test?

Arrive 15 minutes early to allow the reception team to check you in for your procedure. Your technologist will then bring you into the nuclear medicine suite and conduct a brief patient interview to determine specifics about the reason for your visit. After that brief interview, your technologist will administer a small amount of radioactive tracer through a vein in your hand or arm and take some initial pictures of the area of interest. After this part, you may leave the department and return in approximately 2 hours to have delayed images of your bones. In the time that you are gone, please drink 2 – 4 cups of any fluid (tea, milk, juice, coffee, water) and use the bathroom as necessary. This will help clear the tracer from your system and improve the quality of the pictures. When you return, your technologist will image you on one of our gamma cameras. Depending on your physician’s desires and your patient history your technologist may take additional pictures as required.

How long will it take?

This procedure takes approximately 4 hours to complete. You may leave the department between your initial injection and scan time.

How long will it take for the results to get to my family physician?

For more information about the nuclear medicine bone scan please email info@corcare.net or call 416.284744 ext 2 to speak ask one of our technologists.