What is a Red Cell Scan?
This scan is used to investigate your liver to determine if there is a benign mass made up of blood vessels (ie. Haemangioma) in your liver.
How do I prepare for a Red Cell Scan?
There are no preparations for this test, you can eat and drink as per normal.
What happens during a Red Cell Scan?
Upon your arrival, the Nuclear Medicine Technologist will place a cannula in your vein in the arm and a small amount of blood. This sample will be labelled to a radioactive tracer and after 20 minutes will be injected back into you while taking scans.
There are 2 phases in this scan. You will be lying down on a bed with the camera above your abdomen. The early picture begins as soon as the labelled radioactive blood sample is injected through the cannula, so you will have to keep still. The early picture takes approximately 45 minutes. Once the early imaging is complete, the Nuclear Medicine Technologist will tell you the time you need to come back for the delayed pictures, and it is approximately in 3 hours’ time. When you return for the delayed phase, scanning takes approximately 1 hour.
Are there any side effects of a Red Cell Scan?
No
How long does a Red Cell Scan take?
The first component will take about 1.5hrs, the second component will take about 45mins.
When can I expect the results of my Red Cell Scan?
Results are usually ready the next day.
Will there be any fees involved?
No, all our scans are bulk billed.
