Kidney scan (renal scintigraphy)

Be sure to tell your doctor

• If you might be pregnant or are breastfeeding
• What medicines you take, especially water pills and blood pressure pills
• If you have allergies
• For a child: weight and height

How to prepare

• Water. Usually you are asked to drink water about an hour before the scan. The clinic will say how much.
• Medicines. Sometimes you are asked to pause certain blood pressure pills. Do not stop them on your own. The doctor decides.
• Toilet. Go to the toilet before the scan.

What to bring

• Your referral
• Past ultrasounds and tests
• Water
• For a child: a diaper and a toy

How it goes

1. You drink water as the clinic said
2. You lie on the table under the gamma camera
3. A small dose of the substance is given into a vein
4. The camera records images while you lie still for 20 to 40 minutes
5. Sometimes a water pill is given and more images are taken
6. Sometimes you are asked to come back for a repeat image

What you'll feel

• A needle prick in the vein, like a regular blood test
• The scan itself does not hurt
• Lying still can be hard, especially for a child

Afterwards

• Drink more water and go to the toilet more often that day
• Wash your hands after using the toilet
• For a day, try not to hold small children or pregnant women close for long. Check with the clinic
• If you are breastfeeding, you may be advised to pause for a while. Ask the doctor