Gallium Scan: How To Prepare

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How To Prepare

Before the gallium scan, tell your doctor if:

• You are or might be pregnant.
• You are breast-feeding. If you will no longer be breast-feeding after the test, you will be asked to stop breast-feeding 2 weeks before the test so that the radioactive tracer will not accumulate in your breast tissue. If you will continue to breast-feed after the test, it is recommended that you not use your breast milk for 4 weeks after a gallium scan, since the tracer can be passed to your baby. Some doctors may recommend that you stop breast-feeding completely after this scan.
• 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.

Gallium accumulates in the large intestine (colon) before being eliminated in the stool. You may need to take a laxative the night before the scan and have an enema 1 to 2 hours before the scan to prevent the gallium in your colon from interfering with pictures of the area being studied.

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 indicate. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form (What is a PDF document?) .

Last updated:	January 17, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	Paul D. Traughber, MD - Radiology, Kenneth B. Sutherland, CD, BSc, MD, FRCPC - Diagnostic Radiology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer