Instructions concerning preparations for diagnostic examination

Preparing for magnetic resonance imaging

Preparing for magnetic resonance imaging

As a rule, there is no need in special preparation for MRI of most organs. If necessary, the personnel of the MRI Room will explain how to get ready and what should be taken with you.

Nevertheless, a few general rules do exist:

Before magnetic resonance imaging, one should not use decorative cosmetics, cream, hair spray, as they may cause artefacts (imaging distortion) in the course of the study.
The doctor needs to have all the medical documentation of interest: postoperative records, findings of previous examinations such as MRI (images and reports, if available), US, SCT. The doctor is in need of this information to conduct the diagnostic procedure, to think it over and to do the optimal planning of magnetic resonance examination.
Patients with increased gas-formation, getting prepared for abdominal MRI, should follow some instructions to achieve better imaging of all organs and structures, as well as to avoid wrong assessment of the detected changes:

— Twenty-four hours before the procedure, it is necessary to exclude crude fibre (cabbage, other vegetables and fruit), soda drinks, brown bread, sour milk stuffs from your diet.

— Take absorbed carbon (2 tablets per 10 kg of body weight) or espumisan.

It is advisable that the latest food intake be 4 to 6 hours before the beginning of the procedure (it is necessary for the gallbladder remaining filled)
30-40 min before the procedure No-Spa (1-2 tablets) may be taken, it will help to reduce the number of artefacts (imaging destortion) caused by intestinal peristalsis.
In the presence of postoperative bandages, pampers, it is important to keep them dry (the moisture in the place of contact with skin may get warm in the magnetic field).

Female small pelvis MRI

The procedure is recommended to be performed on the 7th-12th day of the menstrual period, it may be done in the second phase of the cycle. The examination cannot be done in the course of menses!
Don’t pass urine just before the procedure (an average filling of the urinary bladder is advised).

MRI contraindications and limitations

Two groups of contraindications can be discerned: absolute and relative. With absolute contraindications, MRI is inadmissible.

With relative contraindications, MRI is possible in certain conditions.

Absolute contraindications

Inserted heart pacemaker (the changes in the magnetic field may result in the pacemaker failure and consequently in the patient’s death).
Ferromagnetic or electronic implants in the middle and inner ear.
Large metal implants*, ferromagnetic fragments
Hemostatic clips on brain vessels (risk of developing intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage)*
Prosthetic cardiac valves implanted before 1990.

Relative contraindications

Insulin pumps*.
Nerve stimulators, non-ferromagnetic implants in the inner ear.
Prosthetic cardiac valves (implanted after 1990 – in high fields, suspected dysfunction).
Hemostatic clips (other than brain vessels).
Decompensated heart failure.
The first trimester of pregnancy (pregnancy is considered to be relative contraindication to MRI; for this reason, a gynecologist’s advice is needed concerning the necessity and feasibility of performing MRI).
Claustrophobia (panic episodes during the stay in the machine tunnel may prevent from following the procedure).
The need in permanent monitoring of vital indices (ECG, blood pressure, respiratory rate) and permanent resuscitation measures (for example, artificial ventilation).
The presence of tattoos made with dyes containing metal compounds (otherwise, the procedure time is to be considerably reduced); tattoos made with dyes based on titanium compounds are excluded.
Patient’s inadequate behavior (psychomotor agitation, panic attack).
Alcoholic or narcotic intoxication.

*In case of surgeries and foreign bodies (implants) present in the past history, a certificate for the implanted material is required, or reference from the doctor in charge of performing surgical intervention (implantation) confirming the safety of MRI in the presence of this material.

Fixed dental implants are no contraindications to MRI, brackets need clarification.

Only in case of contraindications absence you enter the room with magnetic resonance imaging installation.

Before entering the MRI Room, one should leave all metal things in a special booth, including watches, phones, decorations (jewellery), purses, coins, keys, items of clothes with metal fastenings, hearing aids, removable dentures, etc.

In some situations, it is technically impossible to perform the MRI procedure:

Patient’s inability to keep immovable in the course of the whole MRI procedure (for instance, because of acute pain or inadequate behaviour).
Patients with large body mass and waist (chest) circumference, as far as there are limitations in the load on the scanning table and incompatability with the scanner tunnel (these parameters are variable in scanners of different manufactures).

The final decision on the patient to be refused the examination is made by MRI radiologist just before the procedure.

Important information for women reaching the decision to undergo MRI:

menstruation (only small pelvis MRI is unadvisable in the course of menses),
presence of intrauterine coil,
breast feeding

are no contraindications to MRI diagnosing.

Pregnancy and MRI

If the patient is pregnant or may be pregnant, she is sure to inform the examining doctor about it.

MRI is much safer than computed tomography or radiography as this modality does not employ ionizing radiation (X-rays). However, MRI causes some body heating which may have a harmful effect on the fetus, that is why MRI is to be avoided in the first trimester, except cases of absolute necessity. MRI is regarded to be safer in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, but if it is possible to postpone the scanning to the time of delivery, pregnancy termination is awaited.

MRI contrast enhancement is contraindicated in pregnancy.

Contraindications to contrast-enhanced MRI:

Pregnancy of any time period.
Hypersensitivity to one of the agent ingredients.
Renal malfunction (creatinine clearance rate ˂30 ml/min)

In the lactation period, contrast enhancement is used only if indicated, and breast feeding is to be discontinued for no less than 24 hours after contrast medium introduction.

Contrast enhancement should be done with caution in patients with allergic susceptibility, bronchial asthma, epilepsy.

Most of the side effects occur 0.5-1 hour after the agent introduction.

In case of different kind of effects related to contrast agent introduction, the examining doctor ought to be informed about it.

Owing to iodine absence in the agents used for contrast-enhanced MRI, they are well tolerated by patients, even by allergic individuals, producing rare side effects after introduction.

Contraindications to X-ray computed tomography

The presence of barium meal in the bowels, plaster bandage and/or metalwork in the area under examination may be the cause of gross artefacts in the scanning zone, strongly deteriorating the quality of images.
A 24-hour breast-feeding break is advisable after the contrast medium injection.
In compliance with radiation safety regulations, children and pregnant women are prescribed CT only in exceptional cases.
In some cases, the procedure can not be carried out because of patient’s inability or unwillingness to obey the personnel’s orders and keep the immovable position (inadequate, violent behavior of the patient with mental disorders; the state of strong alcoholic or narcotic intoxication); in such cases, anesthetic aid makes conducting the procedure feasible.

Preparing for colonoscopy

Two types of agents may be used in colonoscopy

Patients’ preparing for colonoscopy

A choice list of foodstuffs to be consumed 3 days before the procedure:

Filtered broth, kissel, boiled meat, fish or chicken fillet, macaroni(pasta), eggs, hard cheese, biscuits, tea, coffee, pulp-free juice, non-aerated water. Keep strictly to this list! No cooked grain or groats, fruit, vegetables.

The day before colonoscopy, only broth, kissel, tea, coffee, pump-free juice, still water (without restrictions) may be taken.

The preparation is two-stage:

The day before colonoscopy, usually at 6.00-7.00 p.m., you have to drink 1L of Moviprep or 2L of Forject/Fortrans, one glass every 15 min. Be sure to do physical exercises of the conventional morning exercises type (running, walking). Don’t lie, don’t sit: the stomach and bowel are poorly functioning, this may result in nausea, vomiting, insufficient bowel emptying. The solution may be cooled, supplemented with squeezed lemon juice, washed down with still water. You needn’t drink it for 2 hours, you may do it for 3 or 4 hours. The main thing is to drink it off.
On the colonoscopy day, 4 to 6 hours before the procedure, you need again to drink 1L of Moviprep or 2 L of Forject/Fortrans, according to the above schedule (one glass every 15 min), arranging it so that the last glass to be drunk 4-6 hours before colonoscopy. Be sure to do physical exercises.

If it is impossible to carry out the second preparation stage in the morning of the colonoscopy day, you can shift it to the evening (8.00-10.00 p.m) of the previous day. Drink according to the above schedule.

It is advisable to add 10 ml of espumisan to the last portion of the solution: it decreases gas formation and, most importantly, foam-formation.

The last portion of the washing waters must be absolutely limpid and colourless. If it is not so, one more litre of the solution should be taken as described above.

The intake of any food or drink is to be ceased 3 hours before the procedure.

Keep it in mind that inadequate preparation will result in no information from the examination.

Cytology

Instructions on sputum collection for cytologic examination in the container with transport medium (optimal)

The morning portion of sputum is collected immediately after sleep, in vertical positron (sitting, standing) after horizontal position (lying), on an empty stomach, for 3 to 7 days (depending on the sputum amount). Rinse the oral cavity with water to avoid the inclusion of saliva and food remnants (don’t clean your teeth with a tooth brush!), then thoroughly hawk up and spit the sputum, into the container with transport medium. Each time after spitting the sputum, close the container and vigorously shake it up for a better contact of sputum with the container content to ensure the sputum safety for 3 months and make mailing of the containers possible. Keep the container (clean or with sputum) at room temperature in a dark case (out of light).

The sputum container is to be labelled with the patient’s last name and initials, the dates of sputum collection. Being forwarded to the laboratory, the container is supplemented with an authorized form (available at N. N. Alexandrov NCC) with required doctor’s information about the patient: name, age, sex, referral date, brief clinical and anamnestic data, tentative diagnosis.

Instructions on sputum collection for cytologic examination in Petri dish

The morning portion of sputum is collected immediately after sleep, in vertical position (standing, sitting) after horizontal position (lying), on an empty stomach. Rinse the oral cavity with water to avoid the inclusion of saliva and food remnants (don’t clean your teeth with a tooth brush!), then thoroughly hawk up and spit the sputum into a clean and dry (!) Petri dish (sterility is not needed).

The period between sputum collection and its examination should not exceed 2 to 3 hours, as the cells go to ruin and their assessment becomes difficult. The sputum vessel is to be labelled with the patient’s last name and initials, the date and time of sputum collection. Being forwarded to the laboratory, the vessel is supplemented with an authorized form (available at N. N. Alexandrov NCC) with required doctor’s information about the patient: name, age, referral, brief clinical and anamnestic data, tentative diagnosis.

Instructions on urine collection for cytologic examination

Before urine collection, hygienic cleaning of external genitals is to be done. The whole portion of morning (after sleep) urine is collected, mixed and 50-100 ml is poured off into a dry and clean container. It is optimal to collect the morning urine (most concentrated and informative), although the collection of any portion is not forbidden. The urine is delivered to the laboratory as soon as possible.

The urine container is to be labelled with the patient’s last name and initials, the date of urine collection. Being forwarded to the laboratory, the container is supplemented with an authorized form (available at N. N. Alexandrov NCC) with required doctor’s information about the patient’s name, age, sex, referral date, brief clinical and anamnestic data, tentative diagnosis.

Instructions related to cytology sampling

The patient is no need of any special preparation for cytology sampling. All the preparation needed is made by the specialist doctor depending on the location and technique of sampling.

Preparing for PET/CT examination

Preparing for PET/CT examination (FDG)

Forty-eight hours before the procedure, the following conditions should be met:

minimize physical activity (avoid physical activities), give up going in for sports
abstain from alcohol and alcohol-containing drugs
exclude the use of chewing gums
try to avoid supercooling

Twenty-four hours before the procedure

Keep to the following dietary pattern: exclude carbohydrates (sweet and floury stuffs, fruit, vegetables) from your dietary intake. You may eat curd or sour milk stuffs, nonfat meat, boiled fish. Reduce the usual amount of portions, don’t overeat. Curd or sour milk stuffs (unsweetened, without fruit supplements) are preferable for supper. You should drink still (drinking) water without taste or tint supplements.
Overnight the procedure, evacuate the large intestine, give an enema (two in the evening and one in the morning).

Patients with diabetes mellitus:

Intake of sugar-reducing drugs (Glucophage, siofor, metfogamma, dianormet, gliformin, buformin, metformin, fenformin and their analogues) is cancelled 48 hours before the procedure.
Patients unable to give up insulin intake should consult an endocrinologist to correct the insulin introduction regimen (going over to short-term effect insulin). The optimal schedule just before the procedure: a usual supper the day before, breakfast at 7.00 a.m on the procedure day (advisable carbohydrate-free) with the normal dose of short-term effect insulin and no further food intake (the procedure is scheduled for the second half of the day and agreed upon beforehand).
No intravenous glucose or dextrose injection 6 hours before radiotracer introduction.

The examination is feasible with glucose blood level below 7.7 mmol/L;

In case of your permanent intake of some drugs, it must be specified at the primary consultation: they may need to be cancelled for a while; for this purpose please consult your attending doctor. If you take analgetics or relaxant sedatives, warn the personnel about it and bring them with you.

On the procedure day, don’t come into direct contact with children and pregnant women after completion of the examination!

ATTENTION! The procedure is performed only on an empty stomach.

On the day of the examination, the intake of any food, including chewing gums, candies, etc., should be ruled out. Don’t brush your teeth and don’t smoke! Only clean, untinctured drinking water (unsweetened and still) is allowed to be drunk in small amounts (up to 0.5L).

The way you should be dressed:

Your clothes are to be warm, comfortable, not close-fitting, without sequins and metal parts (zippers, press-buttons, etc.). Women may wear knitted brassiere without hooks. In the cold time of the year, warm underwear is optimal (warm tights for women). Such clothes may be taken with you and changed into at our cloak-room, or you may come already dressed this way.

Be sure to take changeable footwear with you!

Any metal things on the body are inadmissible; please leave precious metal articles, jewelry, watches, piercing, etc. at home.

You must turn off your mobile telephones and hand them over, if possible, to accomponying persons.

The pockets of your clothes must be empty.

What is to be taken with you when going to examination:

Passport
The appointment card to the examination (if you haven’t left it at the Registration Office).
Discharge epicrises, descriptions and reports of US, CT, MRI, mammography, X-ray and scintigraphic examinations (over the past 2-3 months), if available (it is desirable you make copies of them). The records should be provided with compact disks (copies are desirable) with examination records.
Changeable footwear (slippers).
A disposable vessel (for intake of contrast medium and water).
Drinking water, untinctured and still, 1-2 litres.
Toilet paper (napkins).
DVD or DVD-RW disk for recording the PET/CT procedure, if needed. The procedure disk record is not obligatory!
If, for some reason, you cannot come on the day assigned for the examination, be sure to inform about it as early as possible (the preferred time minimum is 24 hours before the procedure) by the Registration Office phone.

The date and time of the procedure are communicated while recording the appointment, or you may make it more precise by telephone at the time reserved by the registrar.

The time informed to you by the registrar is not the time of your individual examination, it is the common time for registration of the shift including your own procedure. Further on, the selection of patient groups for examination is carried out at the Centre. The order of priority for groups undergoing examinations depends on patient height and weight, the extent of examination, gravity of patient condition, presence of diabetis mellitus, and other factors. A group normally includes 3-4 individuals, the groups follow each other with a 10-15 minute interval.

The consequtive order of PET/CT examination

On your arrival at the Centre for the examination, you have to address directly the PET Centre’s Registration Office and submit your passport and medical documents available. No service for patients without doctor’s referral!

Your outwear and outdoor footwear are to be left at the cloak-room for visitors, then please put on your changeable footwear and wait for calling you to the procedure.

First, the patients are taken to the inner cloak-room of the laboratory where they can change their clothes (if needed) and leave their things in a personal box.

Next comes the Procedure Room where patient height and weight care are measured, the Agreement on PET-CT Examination is drawn up, and the blood glucose level is controlled. In case the glucose values are permissible, an intravenous catheter is inserted in the patient, and he/she is taken to a special room to wait for nuclear tracer introduction.

The procedure of the agent introduction is safe and painless, only in rare cases causing the feeling of heat. After the intravenous agent injection, you need to drink some of the liquid you have brought with you (0.5-0.7 L): the quality of diagnostic images depends on it. At this time the patient should be in a quiet relaxed state, otherwise the examination findings may be distorted. The best thing is to close your eyes, not to read, not to listen to music, not to talk, to do you best not to move. Coming to the WC facility to empty your urinary bladder, try to move smoothly, without harsh moves. When using the WC, you ought to wash off the pan twice with full water tank. Men are advised to sit while urinating to avoid urine splashing.

After the waiting period (lasting for about 60 min) is over, the patient must completely empty his/her bladder even without vesical tenesmus. After that the medical personnel takes the patient to PET/CT Procedure Room.

The procedure is performed in supine position, the arms above the head, the hands locked. In case this position is impossible for you, warn the personnel about it. It is admissible to position the arms along the body at nates or under them but not above the body.

In the course of the whole procedure, the patient should strictly follow the instructions of the Diagnostic Department personnel: immovable lying, trying not to cough, not to talk, with deep hypopnoe.

The time of the procedure varies individually from 20 to 60 min. In case an additional postponed examination is needed (40-60 min after the initial one), you will be personally informed about it. In some cases contrast-enhancing medium is used to improve the accuracy of computed tomography, making a better imaging of vessels or bowels. Its introduction is also painless.

The procedure being completed, the patient is forwarded to the Relaxation Room to stay there for 1 to 2 hours for reducing the radioactivity level in his/her body.

Later on, the patient is called to undergo dosimetric control and change his/her clothes at the cloakroom. At this time he/she is provided with written instructions on radiation exposure reduction and limitations for the immediate time.

During their stay in relaxation premises, as well as on the PET Centre territory, the patients are video-supervised.

The hospital attire, if used, is to be returned to the medical personnel.

The total time of the stay for examination at our Centre is 4 to 6 hours.

Attention! ОThe description of PET/CT examination is associated with working and interpreting of a great number of diagnostic images and analysing of medical documents. For this reason, the PET/CT examination report may be given out in 2-5 workdays following its performance. The report of our specialists will be pasted in your outpatient card and handed over to the unit or division you were referred by (or e-mailed to your dispensary). You may get to know about the examination findings being ready by the telephone of the PET Centre Registration Office in some days after the procedure. When the registrar notifies you that the report is ready, go to consult the doctor you were referred by. Please inquire your outpatient clinic about the order and need in appointment for consultation with your doctor.

The disk with DICOM procedure record (if you ordered it) is handed out immediately after the procedure.

Preliminary counselling on the examination findings prior to the final report is not provided.

The Registration Office workers provide no consultations on the examination report.

PET/CT Registration Office telephone number: 8 (017) 389-96-84

Preparing for PET/CT examination (choline)

Forty-eight hours before the procedure, the following conditions should be met:

Exclude foodstuffs containing much choline from your dietary intake, namely: eggs, byproducts (mainly liver), beans, oatmeal, peanuts, spinach and also orange juice.
Cancel vitamin intake (group B first of all).
Minimize physical activity (avoid excessive physical load), give up going in for sports.
Abstain from alcohol and alcohol-containing drugs.
Exclude the use of chewing gums.
Try to avoid supercooling.

Overnight the procedure, evacuate the large intestine, give an enema (two in the evening and one in the morning).

ATTENTION! The procedure is performed only on an empty stomach.

On the day of the examination, the intake of any food, including chewing gums, candies, etc., should be ruled out. Only clean drinking water (unsweetened and still) is allowed to be drunk in small amounts (up to 0.5 L).

The way you should be dressed:

Be sure to take changeable footwear with you!

Any metal things on the body are inadmissible; please leave precious metal articles, jewelry, watches, piercing, etc. at home.

You must turn off your mobile telephones and hand them over, if possible, to accompanying persons.

The pockets of your clothes must be empty.

If, for some reason, you cannot come on the day assigned for the examination, be sure to inform about it as early as possible (the preferred time minimum is 24 hours before the examination) by the Registration Office phone.

What is to be taken with you when going to examination:

Passport
The appointment card to the examination (if you haven’t left it at the Registration Office).
Discharge epicrises, descriptions and reports of US, CT, MRI, mammography, X-ray and scintigraphic examinations (over the past 2-3 months), if available (it is desirable you make copies of them). The records should be provided with compact disks (copies are desirable) with examination records.
Changeable footwear (slippers).
A disposable vessel (for intake of contrast medium).
Drinking water, untinctured and non-aerated, 1-2 Litres..
Toilet paper (napkins).
DVD or DVD-RW disk for recording the PET/CT procedure plus the Agreement on paying the record service at the Payable Services Office. The procedure disk record is not obligatory!

The total time of the stay for the examination at our Centre is 4 to 6 hours.

Attention! The description of PET/CT examination is associated with working and interpreting of a great number of diagnostic images and analysing of medical documents. For this reason, the PET/CT examination report may be given out in 2-4 workdays following its performance. The report of our specialists will be pasted in your outpatient card and handed over to the unit or division you were referred by (or e-mailed to your dispensary). You may get to know about the examination findings being ready by the telephone of the PET Centre Registration Office in some days after the procedure. When the registrar notifies you that the report is ready, go to consult the doctor you were referred by. Please inquire your outpatient clinic about the order and need in appointment for consultation with your doctor.

The disk with DICOM procedure record (if you ordered it) is handed out immediately after the procedure.

Preliminary counselling on the examination findings prior to the final report is not provided.

The Registration Office workers provide no consultations on the examination report.

PET/CT Registration Office telephone number 8 (017) 389-96-84

The order of PET brain examination procedure with 11C-methionine

How to get prepared for the examination?

Twenty-four hours before the procedure, exclude foodstuffs with high content of proteins (milk and soy-bean stuffs, meat, fish, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, sesame, soy-beans, maize, haricot beans, oats).
The procedure is performed only on an empty stomach.
The drinking routine is not restricted. You may drink only clean drinking water, unsweetened and non-aerated.

What is to be taken with you:

Easily changeable footwear (slippers preferable);
Warm and comfortable clothes
Passport.
1-1.5 L of still drinking water.
All of the medical documentation concerning the disease: the referral, case records, specialists’ consultations, outpatient card, disks and reports of the previous examinations (US, CT, MRI, PET/CT, etc.)
If you want your PET/CT examination to be disk-recorded, please provide the registrar with a record disk (CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW for choice) and the Agreement on paying the PET examination disk record service at the Payable Services Office.
Be sure to submit MRI findings acquired no longer than one month ago!

The way the examination is carried out

You are to arrive at the PET Centre at the time appointed in the examination registry.
Please turn off your mobile phones and keep quiet in the PET Centre premises, especially in the Patient Waiting Room.
After being inserted a catheter, you will be invited to the Patient Waiting Room, where you have to a comfortable position, closing your eyes and relaxing to the utmost.
At the appointed, you will be invited to the Tomographic Scanning Procedure Room and injected C11- methionine preparation. It is introduced intravenously via a thin catheter, so the procedure does not cause unpleasant sensations, nor develop allergic reactions.
The patient returns to the Waiting Room and goes on relaxing, sitting in a comfortable posture with closed eyes.
20 to 30 min later you will be invited for scanning lasting 25-30 min
The scanning is performed in supine position; in the course of scanning, the patient has to lie quietly and not to move (the movements in the scanning period lead to emerging of artefacts hampering the assessment of the examination findings); while being scanned, the patient experiences no sensations. The personnel is monitoring the procedure and will approach the patient, if necessary.
To achieve maximal relaxation, the scanning is performed in darkened premises.
The scanning being completed, the personnel will take you to the Waiting Room.

How long am I stay at the PET Centre?

Brain PET lasts 20 to 30 min on the average.
If you cannot come for the examination, be sure to inform about giving it up by phone as early as possible (no later than 24 hours before), as the synthesis of the expensive nuclear tracer is done personally for each patient.
The examination findings are handed out at the time appointed by the doctor.

It is worth mentioning that 3 hours and 30 min after nuclear tracer introduction, only trace amounts of it virtually remain in the patient’s body, that is the patient is ceasing “to emit radiation”.

PET/CT Registration Office telephone number: 8 (017) 389-96-84

Instructions on reducing the radiation exposure and required behavioral limitations

Having completed the examination and left the PET/CT Centre, the patient is recommended the following to reduce the radiation exposure of the neighbors during the remaining 24-hour time (day-time and night-time):

Being at home or at work, keep at a maximal possible distance from others (no less than 1 m)
Being of necessity in immediate proximity, keep at a distance of no less than 2 m.
Avoid sexual contacts and sleep separately the first 24 hours.
Keep at a 1-2 m distance from infants, avoid close contacts with children (long embraces, carrying in arms). If children need looking after, somebody else ought to do it (the optimal thing is to accommodate them with relatives or friends).
Thoroughly wash your hands with soap each time after using the WC.
Rinse the bath (sink, shower booth) twice after using.
Leaving the WC, wash off the pan twice with full water tank. Men are adviced to sit while urinating.
In case of breast-feeding before the examination, you should interrupt it for the time of the procedure and 4 subsequent hours; don’t use the breast milk obtained during this time (the baby goes over to artificial feeding). It is better to resume breast-feeding on the next day.
As the nuclear tracer is removed with urine, the underwear is to be changed; it is laundered separately and may be used again on the next day. The rest of the personal clothes does not need isolation and manipulation.
If possible, exclude or restrict contacts with pregnant women, keep away from them at a distance no less than 2 m.
Employees of kindergartens, teachers and other workers in close contact with children under 10 must be put on suspension on the day of examination.
If you were urgently conveyed to a medical institution on the examination day, please inform its medical personnel about your PET/CT procedure.
If you have to cross the frontier at checkpoints, please inform the doctor at the PET/CT Centre about it, as airports and frontier cross points are supplied with dosimetry systems detecting radiation. In view of your being an ionizing radiation source before the time of your nuclear tracer decay, you will be given, you will be given an official certificate of undergoing the PET/CT procedure to avoid misunderstanding and to freely cross the frontier.

You can also find information on your own about PET/CT examinations and limitations associated with them in the WWW, in the medical section of a library or in a bookshop. In view of the fact that some pieces of the information you can find on the above issues might be inaccurate, please have it in mind that your attending doctor is the most precise information source for these matters.

Should you have any additional questions about PET/CT examination procedure, don’t hesitate to address the workers of the PET/CT Centre for advice.