ThankyouforchoosingEmory RadiologyforyourPET/CTscan. Onbehalfofourteam,Iwelcome youtoourfacility.Asyouwillread inthisguide,EmoryRadiology’s PET/CTDivisionprovidesyouand yourphysicianwithspecialized expertise,thelatestinimagingtechnologyandamultidisciplinaryapproachtodiagnosisandcare.Atanytime,pleasefeelfreetoaskquestionsofanymemberofourteam.

Sincerely,

DavidSchuster,MDDirector,NuclearMedicine&MolecularImagingEmoryRadiology

About PET/CTPositronemissiontomography(PET)isanoninvasive,diagnosticnuclearmedicinetechnologythatusesspecialradiologicalpharmaceuticalstocreateimagesthatillustratebiologicalfunctionswithinspecificareasofthebody.CT(computedtomography)usesacomputertoanalyzedatafromaseriesofX-raystoproducecross-sectionalimagesofstructureswithinthebody.WhencombinedintoasinglePET/CTimagingtool,theCTscanshowstheanatomicallocationofthebiologicalfunctionsillustratedbythePETscan.Theendresultprovidesadynamicandcomprehensiveimageofthetargetedarea.

Why Is PET/CT Used?PET/CTprovidesuniquediagnosticinformationthatenhancesourabilityto:

• Diagnosediseaseintheearlieststages,oftenbefore itisdetectableusingotherimagingtechniques

• Monitortreatmentandmedicationresponse insidethebody• Replacemultiplediagnosticprocedureswitha singleexam• Helppredictwhetherornotasurgicalprocedure willbebeneficial

AprimaryuseofPET/CTisforcancerimaging.PET/CTcandetectcancerinitsearliestform,pinpointitsexactlocationorlocations,distinguishbetweenbenignandmalignanttumors,anddeterminethebestwaytotreatthedisease.

OtherusesofPET/CTincludedetectinganddiagnosingbraindisorders,suchasAlzheimer’sdiseaseandepilepsy,quantifyingtheextentofheartdiseaseanddeterminingwhetherapatientwouldbenefitfromheartsurgery.

How Does PET/CT Work?DuringaPET/CTscan,atechnicianinjectsara-diopharmaceuticaltracerintothebloodstream.Thetraceristaggedwithaparticlethatmimicsanaturalsubstance,suchassugar(glucose).Thetracertravelsthroughthebodysendingoutsignals,anditquicklycollectsintheorgan(s)targetedforexamination.APET/CTscanneristhenusedtodetectthesesignalsandcreateapictureofthechemicalfunctionsofthetargetedarea.AseriesofX-raysisalsotakentohelpdeterminethespecificlocationoftheabnormalitywithinthebody.

Emory – Dedication to Advanced TechnologyBecauseEmoryRadiologyispartofaworld-class,university-based,health-caresystem,wehaveaccesstosomeofthemostadvancedPET/CTtechnologyavailable.Inaddition,weworkcloselywiththeequipmentmanufacturersinthedevelopmentofnewnuclearmedicineimagingsystems,theadvancementofimagingtechnologyandthediscoveryofbetterwaystodiagnosediseaseattheearliestpossiblestages.

Emory RadiologyYour Guide to PET/CT

PET scan CT scan Combine PET/CT scan

Our TeamAtEmory,state-of-the-artequipmentisonlypartofthestory.Whileyoumayonlyhavedirectcontactwiththetechnologistwhoperformsyourexam,itisimportanttoknowthereisamultidisciplinaryteamofspecializedphysiciansandscientistsresponsibleformakingsureyourtestisperformedtothehighestpossiblestandards.Thisteaminterpretsyourtestresultstodevelopanaccuratediagnosisandworkscloselywithyourdoctortodevelopthemostappropriatetreatmentplanforyou.

OurradiologistsalsoteachatEmoryUniversitySchoolofMedicineandparticipateincutting-edge,university-basedresearch.Asaresult,theyareuniquelyqualifiedtoprovidethebest,mostup-to-datetreatmentsandtechniqueswithskillandconfidence.Andbecausetheyworkwithinparticularspecialties–andevensubspecialties–theirtrainingandexposuretospecificdiseasesandconditionsareunmatchedinthecommunity.Thislevelofskilltranslatesintomoreaccurateresultsandfewerre-tests,savingvaluabletimeandresourcesforeveryoneinvolved.

Is PET/CT Safe?TheradiationdoseyoureceiveduringaPET/CTscanislow–considerablylowerthanmostdiagnosticCTexams.Othernuclearmedicineprocedureshavebeeninuseformorethanhalfacentury,duringwhichtimenolong-termadverseeffectshavebeenseen.1Inaddition,thebenefitsoftheinformationobtainedduringthescanoffsetanyslightriskfromthesmallamountofradiationadministered.

MostpeoplearecandidatesforPET/CT.However,pregnantwomenandnursingmotherscannotusuallyhavePET/CTscansunlessthepotentialbenefitsfaroutweightheriskassociatedwithsuchscans.

Preparing for Your PET/CT ScanPET/CTproceduresgenerallyarecoveredbyinsur-anceplans,butyouoryourphysicianmayberequiredtoobtainauthorizationfromyourinsuranceproviderpriortoyourexam.

YoushouldcallFastTrackAdmissionspriortoyourexamdatetopre-register.Youmaycallupto30daysinadvance.

• ForexamsscheduledatEmoryUniversityHospital, call404-686-5270or1-800-640-9293.• ForexamsscheduledatEmoryUniversityHospital Midtown,call404-686-1573.

• FastTrackAdmissionsmayalsoberequiredfor examsscheduledatTheEmoryClinic.Please call404-778-XRAYoraskyourschedulerat thetimeyoumakeyourappointment.

Leadinguptoyourexam:• Donoteatordrinkliquidsotherthanwater sixhourspriortoyourscan.Takeany medicationswithwateronly.• Ifyouarediabetic,pleasecall404-712-4453 priortoyourappointmentforspecialinstructions.• Ifyouarebreastfeedingatthetimeofyour procedure,itmaybeprudenttopre-pump milkforuseuntilthetracerissafelyoutof yourbody(usuallyupto24hours).Pleasediscuss thiswithyourorderingphysicianaswellas ourstaffbeforehandtoreceivespecificinstructions.• Ifavailable,bringanypreviousX-ray,CT,PET andMRI(magneticresonanceimaging) resultsandimageswithyoutoourfacility.• Metalobjects,suchasjewelryandhairpins, mayinterferewiththeCTscanandshouldbe leftathome.

Theactualscangenerallytakesaboutonehourtocomplete,butyoushouldexpecttobeatourfacilityfortwotothreehours.

The Day of Your PET/CT ScanPlantoarrive30minutesbeforeyourappointment.Onceatourfacility,wewillaskyouabout:

• Yourmedicalhistory• Anymedicationsyoutake• Anymedicationallergiesyouhave• Whetheryouarepregnant,breastfeedingor tryingtogetpregnant(ifyouareunsureifyou arepregnant,wemaygiveyouapregnancytest)

Wewillaskyoutoremoveanymetal-containingitems,suchasjewelry(includingearringsandbodypiercings),hairpins,hearingaids,glasses,wigswithmetalclipsandsomenonpermanentdentures.Wewillalsoaskyoutoremoveallobjectsfromyourpockets.

The PET/CT Procedure1. Tobegintheprocedure,wewillinjectasmall amountofradioactivetracerintothebloodstream. Wemayalsoaskyoutodrinkasmallamountof oralcontrasttoaidintheCTportionofthescan.2. Followingtheinjection,wewillaskyouto restquietlyandavoidtalkingforapproximately onehourwhilethetracerisdistributedthroughout yourbody.3. Wethenwillaskyoutoliestillonatablethat passesslowlythroughthescanner.4. Whentheexamiscomplete,wewilltakeyou outofthescanner.Occasionally,wemay requireadditionalimages.

Following Your PET/CT ScanFollowingyourexam,youshouldfeelfinebecausetherearegenerallynosideeffectsfromtheinjectedtracer.Youmayimmediatelyreturntoyournormalactivitiesunlessthetechnologistoryourphysiciantellsyouotherwise.

Thereisnodangertoyouorthosearoundyoufollowingtheexamasaresultoftheradioactivetracerinjection.However,wemayadviseyoutoflushtwicefollowingurinationandtowashyourhandsthoroughlyforaperiodoftimefollowingtheexam.Drinkingplentyofwatermayhelpflushthetracerfromyourbody.

Ifyouarebreastfeeding,you shouldwaitatleast24hours followingtheexambefore breastfeedingagain.Followany specificinstructionsregarding breastfeedingyoureceivefrom yourdoctororthePETCenter staff.

Itisessentialforyoutomonitor yourconditionafteryouleave ourfacility.Ifwegaveyou intravenouscontrastdyeforadiagnosticCTscanaspartofyourPET/CTexam,callyourdoctorimmediatelyifanyofthefollowingoccur:

• Hivesoranyotherrash• Itching• Nausea• Swollenoritchyeyes• Tightnessinthethroat• Troublebreathing

Thesereactionsarerareandwouldusuallyoccuratthetimeofcontrastdyeinjection.

YourreferringdoctorwillcontactyouoncetheresultsofyourPET/CTareavailableandreadyforreview.Yourphysicianshouldhaveyourresultswithinfourbusinessdays.

Contact UsPET/CTisavailableatEmoryUniversityHospital,EmoryUniversityHospitalMidtownandTheEmoryClinicontheCliftonRoadcampus.Formoreinformation,visitwww.emoryhealthcare.org/radiologyorcall404-778-7777.ForadditionalinformationaboutradiologyexamsinbothEnglishandSpanish,visitwww.radiologyinfo.org.

Reference1. RadiologicalSocietyofNorthAmerica(RSNA).PositronEmissionTomography–ComputedTomography(PET/CT)Scanning.September16,2008.