1 Diabetic patients will be scheduled for a PET scan after 11 am. Please follow your normal morning routine of taking your diabetes medication with food 6 hours prior to the exam. Prescription medications do not interfere with the exam, so please take all regularly scheduled medications prescribed by your doctor.
2 If possible, your morning meal should consist of protein, such as bacon, eggs, ham, fish, chicken or meat. Please avoid carbohydrates, such as bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and sugars. The test is very sensitive. Even gum, candy, ice cream, nutrasweet or flavored water may affect the test and cause a repeat exam.
3 It is recommended that you drink at least ½ quart of plain water prior to the study. You should begin drinking water at least an hour before your exam. You may drink water at any time prior to this. (Please do not drink flavored water.) If you have kidney or heart problems, do not drink water if your doctor has advised you not to drink additional fluids.
4 Please make sure that your blood sugar is less than 160 on the day of the PET scan. Please make sure to inform us when you schedule the exam, and again when you arrive, that you are diabetic.
5 We start the test by placing an IV in your arm. The medication is injected through the IV. After the injection, you must wait for 60 minutes to allow the medicine to circulate prior to the imaging. You may be asked to drink oral contrast. The total procedure time is approximately 3 hours.
6 If you are anxious, tense, or claustrophobic, please ask your doctor to prescribe a sedative for you to take prior to coming for your PET scan. Only your regular physician is allowed to give you this type of medication. If you will take a sedative, you must arrange to have a responsible adult drive you home from the exam.
7 Please bring copies of your latest CT and MRI films, as well as the reports.
For Directions to the Imaging Center in the Ambulatory Care Pavilion on Edmund D. Pellegrino Road, click here.