Vein Scan

Fibrinogen Uptake Study

How It Is Done

A vein scan is usually done by a nuclear medicine technologist. The scan pictures are usually interpreted by a radiologist or nuclear medicine specialist.

You will need to remove any jewelry that might interfere with the test. You may need to take off all or most of your clothes, depending on which area is being examined (you may be allowed to keep on your underwear if it does not interfere with the test). You will be given a cloth or paper covering to use during the test.

The technologist cleans the site on your arm where the radioactive tracer will be injected. A small amount of the radioactive tracer is then injected. You will lie on your back on a table and a large scanning camera will be positioned closely above or below you. After the radioactive tracer is injected, the camera will scan for radiation released by the tracer and produce pictures as the tracer passes through your veins.

You need to lie very still during each scan to avoid blurring the pictures. The camera does not produce any radiation, so you are not exposed to any additional radiation while the scan is being done.

The vein scan takes about 30 to 60 minutes.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: November 1, 2006
Medical Review:	Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine Kenneth B. Sutherland, CD, BSc, MD, FRCPC - Diagnostic Radiology
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