Nuclear medicine examinations
What is a nuclear medicine examination?
What you need to know before booking your appointment?
Where to book your appointment?
How to prepare for your appointment?
What is involved in a nuclear medicine examination?
What is a nuclear medicine examination?
Nuclear medicine employs medical imaging techniques that produce images of bodily functions through the use of radioactive products. It offers more than 60 different types of examinations that can be used by a wide variety of medical specialties, from pediatrics to oncology and cardiology.
What you need to know before booking your appointment?
A medical referral is required.
Anyone who requires a nuclear medicine examination must first obtain a referral completed by a physician, either through the emergency department, or through a family physician seen at a private clinic.
To book your appointment, you must have on hand:
- Your medical referral;
- Your hospital card;
- Your valid Québec health insurance card (an invalid insurance card may incur delays and charges or cancellation of your appointment);
- Pen and paper to take notes.
Where to book your appointment?
Hôpital de Saint-Jérôme
Contact information
Information and appointments
Your examination request needs to be sent by:
- Telephone: 450-431-8317, Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Fax: 45- 431-8331
You will need to provide the following information:
- Your name, weight, height and date of birth
- Your hospital file number or health insurance number
- One or two telephone numbers where you can be reached during the day
How to prepare for your appointment?
Inform the technologist:
- If you are pregnant
- If you think you may be pregnant
- If you wish to become pregnant
- If you are at risk of falling
What is involved in a nuclear medicine examination?
The steps in the examination
During a nuclear medical examination, a radioactive product is injected intravenously. The product is absorbed by specific organs and tissues. Images are then taken using a camera that detects each ray emitted. At this point, you are lying on an examination table. Using a computer connected to a camera, an image is obtained that reveals the function to be investigated (scintigraphy).
What you may feel during the examination
You will not feel anything particular during the examination, except when making effort during cardiac examinations, which may cause palpitations (accelerated heart rate). This can vary depending on the type of examination.
How to prepare for the examination
Preparation differs depending on the type of examination you are having. Certain examinations require you to fast. Others require much more complex preparation, such as eliminating caffeine or any derivative for 48 hours before the examination. For more information on how to prepare for examinations, consult our voice menu at 450-432-2777, ext. 28317.
Examination results
You will not receive any results directly after your examination. The nuclear medicine specialist will assess the technologist’s images and issue a report describing the findings from the image. The report will then be sent to your physician, who will communicate the results to you.