Gallbladder Scan: How To Prepare
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How To Prepare
Before your gallbladder scan, tell your doctor if:
- You are or might be pregnant.
- You are breast-feeding. Use formula (discard your breast milk) for 1 to 2 days after the scan until the radioactive tracer has been eliminated from your body.
- Within the past 4 days, you have had an X-ray test using barium contrast material (such as a barium enema) or have taken a medicine (such as Pepto-Bismol) that contains bismuth. Barium and bismuth can interfere with test results.
Do not eat or drink for 4 to 12 hours before a gallbladder scan. Your doctor will tell you how long depending on what the test is being done for.
You may be asked to sign a consent form before the test. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form (What is a PDF document?) .
| Last updated: | October 24, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Myo Min Han, MD - Nuclear Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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