If the procedure your doctor has ordered is to be of the greatest value, you must prepare yourself as outlined below. Please follow directions exactly and take only the medication, food and water in the amounts at the times shown. Note: If you are not properly prepared, you may be rescheduled.
Your doctor's office may give you a prep kit or you must come to a Tanner Diagnostic Imaging department at least two days before your study to pick up a prep kit and instructions.
Your doctor's office may give you a prep kit or you must come to a Tanner Diagnostic Imaging department at least three days before your study to pick up a prep kit and instructions.
Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the day before your test.
Steroid injections in radiology
For the following procedures including:
Lumbar epidural steroid injection (ESI)
Facet joint injections (in CT)
Sacro-iliac (SI) joint injection (in CT)
Nerve root sleeve injection (in CT)
- Do not eat or drink for two hours before the procedure.
- Have someone come with you who can drive you home.
- Arrive 30 minutes prior to scheduled procedure time to complete paperwork and talk to the radiologist.
- Do not take blood thinners or aspirin products for three days before the procedure; other medications may be taken as usual, even on the day of the exam.
- Do not eat or drink for four hours before the procedure.
- Have someone come with you who can drive you home.
- Arrive 30 minutes prior to scheduled procedure time to complete paperwork and talk to the radiologist.
- You will need to stay two to four hours after the procedure.
- Do not take blood thinners or aspirin products for three to five days before procedure; other medications may be taken as usual, even on the day of the exam.
- Do not eat or drink for four hours before the procedure.
- Have someone come with you who can drive you home.
- Arrive 30 minutes prior to scheduled procedure time to complete paperwork and talk to the radiologist.
- You may usually go home immediately after the procedure.
- Do not take blood thinners or aspirin products for three to five days before procedure; other medications may be taken as usual, even on the day of the exam.
Needle biopsy (not including breast or superficial biopsies)
- Do not eat or drink for four hours before the procedure.
- Have someone come with you who can drive you home.
- Arrive one hour prior to scheduled procedure time to complete paperwork and labs (if ordered) and talk to the radiologist.
- You may need to stay four to six hours after the study for monitoring.
- Do not take blood thinners or aspirin products for three to five days before procedure; other medications may be taken as usual, on the day of the exam.
- Do not eat or drink for at least six hours before your scan, except for water only.
- Take all prescribed medications on the day of your exam, unless instructed otherwise.
- Drink six to eight glasses of water the day before the exam and several more the day of the exam to ensure hydration.
- Refrain from exercise for 24 hours prior to your exam.
- If you would prefer not to change into a gown, please wear comfortable clothing with no zippers, snaps or metal.
- Please bring images from any prior PET or CT procedures.
- Please inform us ahead of time if you are diabetic, and we will discuss preparation with you.
- Please let us know if you might be pregnant or are currently breastfeeding.
- Please do not bring children or pregnant women with you.
- If additional diagnostic CT scans are ordered, please follow the same preparations as above, but do not eat or drink anything past midnight except water.
Breast, Thyroid, Prostate
- Do not take blood thinners or aspirin for three to five days before the procedure. Other medications may be taken as usual, even on day of exam.
- Have someone come with you who can drive you home.
Head, neck or chest CT with contrast
- Do not eat or drink at least four hours prior to the exam.
Abdomen and/or pelvis CT
- Your doctor's office may give you the prep bottle(s) or you must come to a Tanner Diagnostic Imaging department at least one day before your study to pick up the prep bottles(s) and instructions.
CT urography
- Drink four 12-ounce glasses of liquid within two hours prior to the study.
Head without contrast, spine, sinus, extremity, or cardiac scoring CT
- No preparation is necessary.
(MRI studies must be scheduled. Some MRI studies need preparation and some risk factors exist. If you have any of the risk factors below, please notify the scheduling personnel.)
MRI risk factors
- Cardiac pacemaker
- Intracranial aneurysm clips
- Cardiac valve prosthesis with ferromagnetic material
- Metal workers must come in before appointment to have screening films
- Claustrophobia
- Pregnancy
MRI preps
- Abdominal MRI: Do not eat or drink at least four to six hours prior to the exam.
- Renal/Kidney MRI: Increase fluids (drink six to eight glasses of water) prior to the exam.
- Arthrogram MRI: Do not eat or drink at least two hours prior to the exam.
Hepatobiliary/Pipida/Hida and gastric emptying scans
- Do not eat or drink after midnight before your exam.
H. Pylori bacteria test
- Consult with your physician for preparation prior to the appointment.
Muga, Meckel's WBC labeled scan, parathyroid and lung scans
- No preparation is necessary.
Bone scan
- Drink 18 to 24 ounces of fluids at least two hours prior to the study.
- Must return three to five hours after injection for the scan.
Renal scan
- Drink 18 to 24 ounces of fluids at least two hours prior to the study.
- If a captopril renal scan, do not take blood pressure medication for 24 hours prior to the study.
Thyroid scan
- Must be off certain thyroid medications for six to eight weeks prior to study. Please contact the Tanner Diagnostic Imaging department if you are taking any thyroid medication.
- No intravenous CT or X-ray contrast six weeks prior to the study.
Abdomen (including RUQ and LUQ), aorta, renal arteries, liver, pancreas, or gallbladder ultrasound
- Do not eat or drink six to eight hours prior to the test.
Pelvic, transvaginal, renal or pregnancy
- Drink six to eight eight-ounce glasses of water one hour prior to your test. Do not empty your bladder; your bladder must be full.
Breast, prostate, scrotum, biophysical profile, sonohystogram, carotid, venous doppler, thyroid or soft tissue mass ultrasound, echocardiogram
- No preparation is necessary.
Breast Health
Mammograms
- Mammogram screens do not require a physician’s order.
- Do not wear any perfumes, deodorant or body talc from the waist up on the day of your appointment.
- Please bring any mammogram films that you have had taken at another facility for diagnostic comparison.
Bone density
- Do not take any calcium supplements the day of your exam.
Stereotactic breast biopsies
- Report 30 to 45 minutes prior to appointment time to hospital registration.
- No aspirin 24 hours before procedure.
Breast needle localization
- If wire is to be placed by a radiologist, report to Tanner Breast Health 30 to 45 minutes before procedure.
- If wire is to be placed by a surgeon, report to surgical services 30 to 45 minutes before procedure.
- No aspirin for 24 hours before the procedure.